PRIME MINISTER

Iraq Survey Group

Evan Harris: To ask the Prime Minister, whether (a) he and (b) his Ministers have visited the members of the Iraq Survey Group in Basra; and what assessment he has made of their personal safety as they carry out their task.

Tony Blair: Neither I, nor my Ministers have visited the Iraq Survey Group in Basra. I and my right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Defence have visited the headquarters of the United Kingdom Brigade in Basra.
	The assessment of the personal safety of Iraq Survey Group personnel must be made by the local commander who can judge the security situation on the ground. The safety of personnel is the over-riding concern during the planning of Iraq Survey Group activities. If necessary, added Force Protection can be provided to the Iraq Survey Group while they conduct missions within the UK Area of Operations.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

National Minimum Wage

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people (a) in the UK and (b) in Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East have benefited from the minimum wage; and what measures are in place to ensure that employers are paying the statutory hourly minimum wage.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Based on the Office for National Statistics' low pay data released in 2003, the DTI estimates that around 1.2 million people in the UK should have benefited from the introduction of the minimum wage in April 1999. We also estimate that between one million and 1.2 million people in the UK should have benefited from the increase in the minimum wage rates in October 2003.
	It is not possible to provide estimates specifically for Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East. However, the DTI estimates that around 80,000 people in the North East should have benefited from the introduction of the minimum wage in April 1999 and that between 80,000 and 90,000 people in the North East should have benefited from the increase in the minimum wage rates in October 2003.
	The Inland Revenue enforce the minimum wage on behalf on the DTI. If a worker believes they are not receiving the minimum wage they should contact the minimum wage helpline (0845 6000678). All complaints about underpayment, including those from third parties, will be investigated. The Revenue also make use of their own data, including tax credits information, to make proactive visits to employers whom they suspect may not be paying the minimum wage. In 2002–03 the Revenue completed over 6,200 investigations and identified £3.6 million of minimum wage arrears.

Bank of Credit and Commerce International

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the request from the hon. Member for Leicester, East for a meeting on the way the Insolvency Service has dealt with BCCI.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A reply was sent to my hon. Friend on 13 January 2004.

Bribery

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what written guidelines her Department has produced for staff (a) in her Department and (b) in Trade Partners on how they should respond to allegations of overseas bribery and corruption; on what date these guidelines were published; and if she will place a copy in the Library.

Mike O'Brien: Guidance on these issues issued in January 2002, February 2002 and March 2003 to relevant staff in both the DTI and what is now UK Trade and Investment, as well as other relevant government departments. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House. Background guidance including an information leaflet on bribery and corruption (a copy of which was deposited in the Libraries of the House on 15 October 2003, Official Report, column 265W) is also included on the UKTI website www.uktradejnvest.gov.uk. The guidance complements that provided to all Crown Servants in the "Giving Evidence or Information about Suspected Crimes—A guide for Crown Servants". This report was placed in the Libraries of the House on 20 March 1997 under reference dep/3/4876. It can also be accessed at website http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/../..central/2001/crownser.pdf.

Bribery

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many allegations of overseas bribery and corruption her Department has received since 1997; on what dates the allegations were received; and what action her Department took.

Mike O'Brien: To provide the information requested would involve a manual search of files which would incur disproportionate costs. Furthermore, we cannot comment on individual reports received in order not to prejudice possible criminal investigations.

Business Start-ups

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the change in the number of successful high growth business start-ups in each year since 1997.

Nigel Griffiths: The estimated number was as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1997 12,200 
			 1998 12,200 
			 1999 (provisional) 12,900 
		
	
	These estimates are based on the following definition of HGSU:
	High growth firms are defined as those with 10 or more employees and/or £1 million or more turnover by the further year of trading. There is an inherent four-year lag in the measurement of this target. Further information on progress can be found in the 2003 DTI Autumn Performance Report.

Community Interest Companies

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the likely level of demand for community interest companies over the next five years.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 29 January 2004
	The Regulatory Impact Assessment of the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Bill, published by the Department in December 2003, used a working assumption that initially between 100 and 300 new community interest companies might register each year.

Correspondence

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 22 January 2004, Official Report, column 1446W, when she will write to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North.

Nigel Griffiths: A response was sent to my hon. Friend on 27 January.

Departmental Recruitment

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent on recruitment advertisements in the press, broken down by publication, by (a) her Department, (b) quangos under the Department and (c) non-departmental Government bodies under the Department (i) in the last year and (ii) since 1997.

Patricia Hewitt: When running recruitment campaigns, my Department uses the most appropriate advertising media, be it national, regional, local, trade magazine or website, depending on the nature of the post to be filled. We use the service of advertising agencies to place our advertisements and to seek appropriate media advice.
	Individual management units generally meet recruitment costs from their own delegated budgets and there are no centrally held records of the breakdown of advertising costs.

Fisheries (Compensation)

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications there have been for compensation from former Icelandic waters trawlermen which (a) have been successful, (b) have been unsuccessful, (c) have been put on hold and (d) which are pending a decision, broken down by region of the UK.

Nigel Griffiths: Up to January this year 4,750 trawlermen had been paid a total of £40.7million. A total of 2,973 claims had been assessed as not qualifying for compensation. There are no claims on hold. Following is a breakdown of the numbers of payments and compensation by current area of residence:
	
		£
		
			 Location Number of payments Amount paid 
		
		
			 Hull 1766 18.4 million 
			 Grimsby 821 5. 5 million 
			 Fleetwood 363 3.1 million 
			 Blackpool 54 404 thousand 
			 Cleethorpes 226 1.6 million 
			 Newcastle 370 3. 6 million 
			 West Yorkshire 237 2 million 
			 Aberdeen 290 1.5 million 
			 Others 623 4.5 million 
		
	
	I regret that there is no breakdown of claims not qualifying for compensation. I have today announced my proposals to extend the scheme list by 21 vessels. Claims from trawlermen who worked on these vessels will be re-examined with additional compensation for those who qualify.

Miners' Pensions

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will announce the minimum payment under the Miners' Pension Fund; and if she will make a statement.

Nigel Griffiths: The level of pension payments by the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme is a matter for the Scheme's Trustees. In September last year they announced an increase in pensions in line with RPI.

Minimum Wage

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been spent investigating companies suspected of having broken the rules on the minimum wage in each year since its introduction.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Inland Revenue enforce the minimum wage on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The following table gives details of the funding the DTI has provided the Revenue in each year since the introduction of the minimum wage in April 1999.
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1999–2000 3.5 plus 1.9 start-up costs 
			 2000–01 3.5 
			 2001–02 4.7 
			 2002–03 5.85 
			 2003–04 (forecast) 5.7 
		
	
	Funding in the first two years did not cover overheads, including accommodation costs. Three new compliance teams were established in 2002–03, as were a number of local enforcement pilot projects to help improve compliance with the minimum wage.

National Power Provision

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she is taking to ensure the integrity of the national power grid.

Jacqui Smith: Responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the national transmission system rests with the National Grid Company (NGC). NGC have a number of important statutory and licence duties relating to the development and maintenance of their system. The duty for enforcing these licence and statutory obligations rests with Ofgem.
	Officials in my Engineering Inspectorate monitor power failures attributed to the national grid on an ongoing basis and they liaise with staff in the transmission companies to ensure adequate remedial measures are put in place. At my request, Inspectors recently completed a formal investigation of the major interruptions on 28 August and 5 September 2003 and the conclusions and recommendations have been shared with the companies. Inspectors will be liaising with the companies over the coming months to ensure the recommendations are implemented.

Nuclear Industry

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to explore the licensing of new nuclear technologies in the United Kingdom.

Patricia Hewitt: No steps are being taken by Government. It is for industry to bring forward any applications for a licence under the provisions of the Nuclear Installations Act 1965.

Online CD/DVD Sales

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's policy is on companies selling online competitively-priced CDs and DVDs to residents of the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Provided companies are acting legally, online sales of CDs and DVDs will increase competition, providing consumers in the UK with more choice.

Pornographic Messages

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the use of telephone transferred charge calls to propogate unwanted pornographic messages; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: None. However the law relating to pornography applies online as it does offline. Unsolicited emails and reverse SMS messages advertising pornographic services are prohibited by the regulations implementing a recent EC Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications, and which are enforced by the Information Commissioner's office. The mobile operators are drawing up a code of practice to cover new forms of content including pornography. Premium rate services continue to be regulated by the Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services (ICSTIS).

Post Office Banking Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the outcome was of discussions with major high street banks on the provision of banking services at post offices; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: As a result of constructive discussions with the major financial institutions, all the high street banks and the Nationwide Building Society are making a very positive contribution to universal banking services, providing customers with free access to basic bank accounts at post offices, and making significant financial contribution (£180 million) to the cost of running the Post Office card account.

Post Office Closures

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to ensure that there is adequate consultation with relevant hon. Members and other interested parties when an urban post office is nominated for closure.

Jacqui Smith: Proposals for closures of sub-post offices under the urban network reinvention programme are put out to public consultation, including relevant Members of Parliament, in accordance with the code of practice agreed between Post Office Ltd. and Postwatch. In preparing closure proposals, Post Office Ltd. collect a range of information relevant to the provision of post office services in an area. This includes local authority plans, environmental and transport information, local shopping habits and other local developments and features. With the move to area plans, the public consultation period has been extended from four to six weeks during which comments and representations, including new or additional information, can be submitted for consideration by Post Office Ltd. before they reach a final decision. Recent experience of the programme has shown that there is a clear need for Post Office Ltd. to respond promptly to issues raised during the consultation and to explain its decisions more fully. The Government has impressed on the company the urgent need to improve its performance on this aspect of the programme.

Post Office Closures

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the adequacy of the Urban Reinvention Programme's consultation process for closure proposals.

Jacqui Smith: Recent experience of the programme has shown that there is a clear need for Post Office Ltd. to respond promptly to issues raised during the consultation and to explain its decisions more fully. The Government has impressed on the company the urgent need to improve its performance on this aspect of the programme. There is also an escalation procedure agreed between Post Office Ltd. and Postwatch for handling disputed proposals which can be applied in the small number of cases where Postwatch opposes the closure proposal.

Public Bodies (Membership)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who the members of the (a) North West Industrial Development Board, (b) South West Industrial Development Board and (c) Eastern Region Industrial Development Board were on 1 January; what their term of office is in each case; and what their remuneration is.

Jacqui Smith: The information is as follows:
	(a) North West Industrial Development Board consists of the following members.
	
		
			 Members Period of appointment 
		
		
			 John Alcock 1 January 2001 to 31 May 2004 
			 Mrs. Lorraine Clinton—Chair 1 May 2001 to 30 March 2004 
			 Duncan McLellan 1 December 2002 to 30 November 2005 
			 Raymond Charles McManus 1 August 2003 to 31 July 2006 
			 William Joseph Mullarkey 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006 
			 Kirit Pathak 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004 
			 Ruth Isabel Port 1 August 2003 to 31 July 2006 
			 George Verghese 1 December 2002 to 30 November 2005 
			 Mrs. Eva Wisemark 1 September 2003 to 31 August 2006 
			 Marcus Wood 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006 
		
	
	(b) South West Industrial Development Board consists of the following members:
	
		
			 Members Period of Appointment 
		
		
			 Sue Astbury 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2005 
			 Ruth Bagley 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006 
			 Peter Alan Courts 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2005 
			 John Crownshaw 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006 
			 Ian Robert Douglas 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004 
			 Neville Gibson 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004 
			 Alan Neil Hayman 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004 
			 Denise Major 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2005 
			 Richard Morgan 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2005 
			 Rama Warren Nand-Lal 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006 
			 Victoria Picketing 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006 
			 Nigel Randall 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2005 
			 Brian Sherwin 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004 
			 Terence Alan Slater—Chair 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004 
			 Barbara Speirs 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004 
		
	
	(c) Eastern Region Industrial Development Board consists of the following members:
	
		
			 Members Period of appointment 
		
		
			 David Richard Baggott 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2005 
			 Alan Davies 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006 
			 Robert Downing 1 July 2003 to 3 June 2006 
			 Martin James Gould 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004 
			 Keith Hamilton 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006 
			 Terence Ralph Hill 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2006 
			 Fiona Hoskins 1 August 2003 to 31 July 2005 
			 Shaz Khan 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2005 
			 Hugh Lawson 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2005 
			 Elaine Oddie—Chair 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004 
			 Laurence John Russen 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2006 
			 Mike Smith 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2005 
		
	
	Members of the Industrial Development Boards are not remunerated.

Research and Development (Tax Credits)

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of the claims for research and development tax credits that have been received by the Government have led to the development of a new product, service or process.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 19 January 2004, Official Report, column 1044W

Regional Development Agencies

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made towards the achievement of (a) targets and (b) delivery of the (i) regional economic strategy and (ii) corporate plan of each of the regional development agencies.

Jacqui Smith: England's Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), working with their regional and local partners and stakeholders, have produced Regional Economic Strategies (RESs) which set out the medium to long term vision for the economic development of their regions. They are designed to be implemented by the RDA and by regional partners and stakeholders. Each RDA monitors and reports to its region on delivery of the RES differently but the Annual Report and Accounts, which the eight RDAs outside London are required to produce, outline the achievements and progress made by each RDA. They are laid in Parliament and copies are available in the Libraries of the House. I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 17 July 2003 about the Annual Reports and Accounts for 2002–03. The London Development Agency also produces an annual report and accounts, outlining achievements and progress, which is available on its website.
	The Government has agreed a common framework of targets for the RDAs to achieve. (The framework can be viewed on the DTI website at www.dti.gov.uk/rda/in.fo/index.htm.) Target levels are set through the Corporate Planning process and current targets were agreed by Ministers (and, in London, by the Mayor) and published in RDA's Corporate Plans for 2003–2006. The RDA details the activities and initiatives it will undertake in order to help implement the RES, and to contribute to the achievement of the targets set, within its Corporate Plan. Progress on achievement of the Tier 3 output targets is published six monthly and I refer the hon. Member to the statements I made on 7 July 2003 and today.
	The Corporate Plans, RESs, and Annual Reports and Accounts are available on each RDA's website.

Seminars

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many seminars the Government has organised for the UK business community since 1997 on (a) Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Convention and Combating Bribery and (b) Part 12 of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001; on which dates and in which locations; and (i) how many and (ii) which companies attended each seminar.

Mike O'Brien: Since 2002 officials have run seminars or given presentations covering both (a) and (b) in several locations including those listed as follows. However, accurate numbers and details of those who attended events since 2002, and any information for the period between 1997 and 2002 would involve a search of records and company research which would Incur disproportionate costs.
	
		
			  Location 
		
		
			 January 2002 London, UK  
			 October 2002 Moscow, Russia  
			 January 2003 Birmingham, UK  
			 March 2003 Panama City, Panama 
			 March 2003 Mexico City, Mecico 
			 June 2003 Bogota, Colombia 
			 December 2003 Tehran, Iran 
			 December 2003 Kuwait City, Kuwait

UN Technology Summit

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the oral answer of 6 January to the hon. Member for Inverness, East, Nairn and Lochaber (Mr. Stewart), Official Report, column 156, what action she has taken to ensure that, as a result of the UN Technology Summit in Geneva, the benefits of information and communication flow to all in society.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 3 February 2004
	The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) was held in Geneva on 10–12 December 2003. It focused on increasing the opportunities and allow the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICT) to flow to all.
	The WSIS Action Plan formally asked that the Secretary General of the United Nations set up a task force to review the adequacy of all existing financial mechanisms to meet the challenges of ICT for development, by 2005. The Secretary General was also mandated to set up a working group on internet governance to investigate and make proposals for action on the governance of the internet, also by 2005, to coincide with the second phase of the Summit.
	Preparations for the second phase will start officially with a meeting in the Autumn of 2004, but there will be a series of related workshops and meetings held from this Spring.
	From the beginning , the UK encouraged the Summit to create a framework for initiatives to meet local peoples' needs, particularly "enabling partnerships" supported by governments, private sector partners, civil society and local "champions". The UK is already engaged in this partnership approach to reduce poverty and meet our Millennium Development Goals. We will continue to promote this up to the second phase of the Summit in Tunis in November 2005.

Wind Farms

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the contribution of the (a) concrete content of foundations, (b) losses in transmission and (c) the construction of necessary supports infrastructure to the (i) energy and (ii) carbon costs of wind farms.

Jacqui Smith: Research has shown that a modern wind turbine will recover all of the energy expended in its manufacture, operation and decommissioning within approximately three months. This figure is similar for onshore and offshore wind turbines. Exact figures for energy costs vary depending on the type of turbine, location, etc. However, a reasonable estimate in the construction of an onshore turbine is that (a) foundation energy costs account for up to 5 per cent. of the total and (b) support infrastructure accounts for less than 20 per cent. The rest is primarily accounted for in the manufacture of the turbine itself.
	Over an operating lifetime of 20 years, an onshore turbine is expected to recover over 80 times the input energy required. This figure also includes maintenance energy requirements and transmission losses of 6 to 9 per cent. Carbon savings are dependent on the emissions from electricity that would otherwise have been produced from conventional power stations, but it is reasonable to assume that the lifetime savings will be of a similar multiple. The energy recovery for an offshore turbine is expected to be higher due to higher energy outputs over a longer lifetime.

Wind Farms

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the additional cost of reinforcing the transmission grid to cope with the addition of wind farm-generated electricity.

Jacqui Smith: The Transmission Issues Working Group reported in June 2003 that the overall cost to connect an additional 12 GW of renewable energy generation to the GB network would cost £2.1 billion. National Grid Transco, Scottish Power and Scottish and Southern Energy are currently revising these costs.

CABINET OFFICE

Civil Service

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to regionalise the administration and management of the Civil Service.

Douglas Alexander: The administration and management of the Civil Service, other than for Senior Civil Service, is delegated to Departments. Sir Michael Lyons is conducting a review of the scope for relocating Civil Service jobs/functions out of London and the South East.

DEFENCE

Bird Strikes

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on (a) the cost of bird scarers and (b) their efficacy in preventing RAF bird-strikes.

Adam Ingram: In 2003 approximately £1.5 million was spent on bird control at RAF stations.
	The use of bird scarers reduces the number of bird-strikes when aircraft are close to the airfield. However the majority of bird-strikes occur when the aircraft is in flight; Bird Control Units can do nothing to prevent these.

Catterick (Trainees' Boots)

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pairs of correctly fitting boots each trainee receives at Infantry Training Centre, Catterick.

Adam Ingram: New recruits to the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick are all issued with one pair of correctly fitting boots when they first commence training. These boots are exchangeable as necessary for reasons of fair wear and tear, accidental damage, etc. during the course of training. On completion of training, each successful recruit is issued with one further pair of boots.

Civil Servants

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much space, expressed in square metres, the Department occupies for the offices of civil servants in (a) central London and (b) Greater London.

Ivor Caplin: MOD headquarters activity is currently carried out in six buildings in central London. Both military and civilian personnel occupy office space. The net usable area of these buildings, not including circulation, columns and walls, to the nearest square metre, is laid out in the following table.
	
		
			 Building Net usable area (m(2)) 
		
		
			 Metropole Building 15,528 
			 Northumberland Avenue 10,285 
			 Old War Office 25,396 
			 St. Georges Court 20,835 
			 Great Scotland Yard (1)4,631 
			 Total 97,165 
		
	
	(1) Includes circulation.
	The Main Building redevelopment project completes in 2004. Following reoccupation the MOD will dispose of four of the buildings listed in the table. Headquarters activities will be concentrated in two Whitehall sites, with one further building in central London, as part of an overall reduction in staff in central London from over 12,500 in 1990 to less than 5,200 by the time the project completes. The net usable area for these buildings, to the nearest square metre, is as follows.
	
		
			 Building Net usable area (m(3)) 
		
		
			 Redeveloped Main Building 49,634  
			 Old War Office 25,396 
			 St. Georges Court 20,835 
			 Total 95,865 
		
	
	In addition the Department occupies parts of three other buildings in central London, including the Met Office London Weather Centre, totalling some 4,355 square metres.
	A relatively small number of civil servants are based at operational and other military establishments throughout Greater London. Information on the proportion of these establishments used for office space is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of staff employed within his Department are over 55 years of age; and what (a) number and (b) percentage of staff recruited over the last 12 months are over 55 years of age.

Ivor Caplin: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him on 20 January 2004, Official Report, columns 1130–34W, by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office.

Driver Training

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the resources available for driver training in the armed forces.

Adam Ingram: No specific representations have been received regarding the resources available for driver training in the armed forces. However, in common with all other aspects of individual training, the resources available are under constant review.

European Armaments Agency

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the appointment of the Head of the European Armaments Agency.

Geoff Hoon: The European Union's General Affairs and External Relations Council decided on 17 November last that a new European Agency should be created in the fields of defence capabilities development, research, acquisition and armaments.
	The Head of the Agency will be the EU High Representative for European Foreign and Security Affairs, Javier Solana.
	It was announced on 29 January that a Ministry of Defence official, Mr. Nick Witney, currently Director General International Security Policy, has been appointed to lead the Agency Establishment Team.
	The Government welcome these developments and look forward to the Agency contributing to the strengthening of defence capabilities of the European Security and Defence Policy and Europe's contribution to NATO.

Forces Bases (Wales)

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces are based in Wales.

Ivor Caplin: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 November 2003, Official Report, columns 324–25W, to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd).

Iraq

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what protection from radioactive fallout is offered to UK forces in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: In accordance with NATO agreed definitions the Ministry of Defence defines fallout as the return to lower atmospheric layers and to earth of radioactive substances projected to high altitude, and contaminated particulate matter and debris absorbed into the cloud of a nuclear burst. Fallout will result from the detonation of a nuclear weapon. Radiological contamination can occur from the use of a radiation dispersion device. The likelihood of either occurring in Iraq is currently assessed as low.
	MOD has safety instructions on the measures to protect personnel from radioactive fallout, radiological contamination and Environmental Industrial Hazards. The measures the military adopt follow UK best practice for nuclear protection.

Iraq

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British troops are deployed in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 26 January 2004
	As at 27 January 2004, there were around 10,000 United Kingdom personnel in Iraq.

Iraq

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of (a) tanks, (b) armoured personnel carriers and (c) other equipment used by troops from Welsh battalions stationed in Iraq were fully upgraded for use in desert conditions; and what the cost was of these upgrades.

Adam Ingram: The only Welsh battalion to have deployed on Operation Telic to date is 1st Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Wales (RRW), which does not operate Main Battle Tanks. 1RRW operates Warrior and FV 430 armoured personnel carriers and these were considered fit for use in desert conditions and were not modified for this purpose prior to or during operations. The unit also operates Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) [CVR(T)]. These vehicles were also considered fit for use in desert conditions and were not modified for this purpose prior to or during Operation Telic.
	Units will also utilise other Combat Support Vehicles in theatre. These include Battlefield Ambulances of which all those deployed on Operation Telic were modified for use in desert conditions under an Urgent Operational Requirement at a cost of £8,000 per vehicle.

Iraq

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2004, Official Report, column 1247W, about the Iraq Survey Group, if he will break down the figure (a) by nationalities and (b) by speciality; and what the figures were for January 2003.

Geoff Hoon: The figure of 1,272 personnel in the Iraq Survey Group is broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 United States 1,210 
			 United Kingdom 52 
			 Australia 10 
		
	
	United Kingdom contribution consists of 31 Service personnel (Army 20, Royal Air Force 7, Royal Navy 4) serving as Headquarters staff, Signals staff, EOD staff, Collection Team Commanders and interviewers/interpreters; and 21 civilians who are scientific and technical specialists. The breakdown by specialism of other coalition members' contributions is a matter for their Governments.
	There are no comparable figures for January 2003 as the Iraq Survey Group was not established until June 2003.

Ministry of Defence Police

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the budget of the Ministry of Defence Police has been in each of the past five years in current prices; and what the planned budget is for the next three years.

Ivor Caplin: The Department now reports in Resource Accounting Terms. Budgetary figures from 2002–03 onwards are therefore not entirely comparable with those recorded for earlier years. Budgets from 2002–03 are broken down into Resource Defence Expenditure Limit (DEL), Capital DEL and Annual Managed Expenditure (AME). The Ministry of Defence Police budget figures, at then outturn prices, were as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1999–2000 134.237 
			   
			 2000–01 139.145 
			   
			 2001–02 132.732 
			   
			 2002–03  
			 Resource DEL 141.932 
			 Capital DEL 1.160 
			 AME 4.767 
			   
			 2003–04  
			 Resource DEL 151.716 
			 Capital DEL 1.795 
			 AME 7.183 
		
	
	Budgets for future years are set at the appropriate time.

Night Vision Goggles

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the overall allocation is of night-vision goggles to the (a) Royal Navy and Royal Marines, (b) Army and (c) Royal Air Force.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 22 January 2004
	NVGs used by aircrew are not allocated on a Service basis. NVGs are issued to Front Line Commands according to operational requirements and as such, the numbers vary on a day to day basis. As at 31 December 2003, 307 aircrew NVGs were held by CINFLEET, 882 by Joint Helicopter Command (which operates both Army and RAF helicopters) and 865 by RAF Strike Command. A further 287 aircrew NVGs were undergoing repair or maintenance at designated regional repair facilities. NVGs can be operated only in helicopters that have been specifically modified for this role and are fitted to allow operation with NVGs according to their tactical role in operations.
	In addition to aircrew NVGs the following quantities of night vision weapon sights and goggles are held:
	Royal Navy: 455, of which 178 are Weapon sights and 277 are head mounted goggles.
	Royal Marines: 1,553, of which 855 are Weapon sights and 698 are head mounted goggles.
	Army: 18,541, of which 13,000 are Weapon sights and 5,541 are head mounted goggles.
	Royal Air Force: 1,630, of which 1,232 are Weapon sights and 398 are head mounted goggles.

Personal Radio Systems

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether individual soldiers are permitted to buy components for their army-issued personal radio systems.

Adam Ingram: No. There are well-established procedures in place for units to address shortages of equipment through the Ministry of Defence supply system.

Project ISOLUS

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list sites owned by his Department that are being considered for storing radioactive waste as part of project ISOLUS.

Adam Ingram: 117 Ministry of Defence owned coastal sites are being considered for suitability to store radioactive material from nuclear-powered submarines under Project ISOLUS. Many have been dismissed and I will make an announcement once it has been established which of the remaining sites, or others that may yet be identified, warrant further consideration.
	I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 6 January 2004, Official Report, column 68WH, that further public consultation will be carried out on any new options that have merit.

RAF Flying Posts

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF flying posts there are this year; and how many are planned for each of the next three years.

Adam Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

RAF Halton

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the report of the Defence Aviation Safety Centre into the possible impact on public safety of the relocation of glider squadrons to RAF Halton.

Adam Ingram: The Defence Aviation Safety Centre conducted a risk management survey on both RAF Henlow and RAF Halton in late 2003. Copies of the section of the report relating to RAF Halton and specifically the measures to ensure that the Station operates safely have been placed in the Library of the House today. It is expected that the recommendations proposed for RAF Halton will be fully adopted to ensure that the Station continues to operate safely.

RAF Leeming (Security)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether there were breaches of security at RAF Leeming during the evening of 29 November and early morning of 30 November 2003; and whether an unauthorised person was able to approach within about 50 m of the vehicles of the Nuclear Weapons Convoy while parked at RAF Leeming;
	(2)  how his Department keeps under review the protection and security arrangements at RAF Leeming; if he will make available the outcome and recommendations of such reviews; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether the convoy of road vehicles used in the transportation of nuclear warheads to and from RNAD Coulport and the Atomic Weapons Establishments in Berkshire stopped overnight at RAF Leeming on the night of 29 and 30 November 2003; and whether it was carrying nuclear warheads;
	(4)  whether for the transport and storage of fissile materials the United Kingdom adopts the security and protection standards prescribed by IAEA INFCIRC/225 Rev 4;
	(5)  whether, in addition to IAEA INFCIRC/225, his Department applies further safeguards during transit and storage of nuclear warheads that are equivalent to the United States Department of Energy's stored weapons standard;
	(6)  if he will make a statement on security at RAF stations.

Adam Ingram: I can confirm that an unauthorised person gained entry to RAF Leeming while a convoy of military vehicles stopped overnight on 29 November 2003 at the base. The person was subsequently escorted off the premises by the Ministry of Defence Police. In accordance with Government policy, I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at any particular place or time. Security at MOD establishments, including RAF Leeming, is kept under constant review. It would not be appropriate to disclose details of security reviews or their recommendations and I am therefore withholding the information requested under Exemption 1a of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
	However, stringent security and protection standards are applied by the MOD whenever United Kingdom Defence Nuclear Materials are used, stored and transported. These security standards are compatible with IAEA INFCIR/225, and the MOD applies further safeguards during transit and storage of nuclear warheads, which are equivalent to the standards applied by the United States Department of Energy to their nuclear warheads.

RAF Stations

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF stations there were in the UK in (a) 2003 and (b) 1993; and how many accommodated flying operations in each year.

Adam Ingram: In 1993, there were 83 RAF stations in the UK; in 2003, there were 47. In 1993, 36 stations had active runways or helicopter landing pads; in 2003, 28.

Reservists

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) exercises and (b) training course places involving reservists have been (i) cancelled and (ii) withdrawn in each of the three armed services in the last two years.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 26 January 2004
	The information requested is not centrally held and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Royal Gibraltar Regiment

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for changes in (a) manning levels and (b) overall structure of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The staff of Headquarter British Forces Gibraltar are currently reviewing the military and ceremonial tasks of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment to identify the appropriate levels of readiness; to re-validate structures and manpower levels of the Regiment; and to develop the training requirements.

Royal Navy

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on lean manned ships for the Royal Navy; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: In the Naval Service, the Type 23 frigates are commonly known as Lean Manned ships. The increased use of automation enabled a smaller ship's complement, with an emphasis on skilled maintainers and operators. A consequent reduction in the proportion of junior personnel available for manual tasks has been alleviated by providing additional civilian manpower to undertake cleaning, painting and dining hall support when the ships are in harbour.

Sea Harrier

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Sea Harrier will be withdrawn from service.

Adam Ingram: The first of three Sea Harrier Squadrons will be withdrawn from service on 31 March 2004. It is planned to retire the second Squadron in March 2005 and the final Squadron in March 2006.

Survey Vessels

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total value was of the contract awarded to Vosper Thorneycroft to design and construct HMS Echo and HMS Enterprise.

Adam Ingram: The contract for design, construction and 25 years' support for HMS Echo and HMS Enterprise was awarded in July 2000 at a value of £130 million. The breakdown of this figure into individual elements is commercially sensitive and I am withholding it in accordance with Exemption 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which relates to effective management and operations of the public service.

Training Exercises

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which countries have cancelled training exercises involving HM forces in the past two years; and for what reasons.

Adam Ingram: Of the 350 exercises listed annually in the United Kingdom Defence Exercise Programme, 69 were cancelled in 2002, and 151 in 2003. Of those exercises cancelled in the last year, some 10 per cent. were cancelled by nations other than the UK hosting exercises in their own country or sponsoring exercises elsewhere. While specific reasons for cancellation are not available in many cases, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost, many nations' exercise programmes (like the UK's) have been affected in recent years by competing operational priorities.

Type 45 Destroyer

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the first Type 45 destroyer will be delivered to the Royal Navy; and whether this is the date originally specified.

Adam Ingram: The currently approved in service date for the First of Class, HMS Daring, is November 2007. This date has not changed since the Type 45 was approved at Main Gate in July 2000, although it is currently under review.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

British Universities Overseas

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what independent audit is carried out of the quality of education offered by British universities operating overseas.

Alan Johnson: The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) carries out audits which cover the means by which an awarding institution secures the standards of its awards and the effectiveness of its quality management arrangements for partnership links, including those overseas. In addition, as part of the 'Institutional Audit' process for HEIs in England, the QAA also examines the management of any collaborative links an institution may have.

Children's Fund

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills by how much he expected the Children's Fund partnerships to underspend their 2003–04 budget profiles; on what basis the expectation of an underspend on Children's Fund partnerships was reached; and what alternative uses have been made of funds clawed back from his expectations of an underspend by Children's Fund partnerships.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 27 January 2004
	The 2003–04 mid year review of expenditure in the Children's Fund programme was carried out to assess actual expenditure against partnerships' own projections. This identified approximately £12.5 million underspend from the first half of the year. Underspend from partnerships is being used to fund other commitments in the Children's Fund programme.

School Transport

Alan Hurst: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in Essex received free school transport to (a) secondary schools, (b) primary and infant schools and (c) special schools in each year from 1990 to 2003.

Charles Clarke: Although we collect data on home to school transport expenditure, we do not usually collect data on the number of children receiving free transport. However, in response to a recent survey, Essex said that it provides free home to school transport to about 21,000 pupils at a cost of around £20 million in 2000/01.

Higher Education Funding

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 27 January in respect of the commitment to more funding for higher education.

Alan Johnson: In line with Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, confidential communications between departments are not made public.

Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money deriving from the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme has been spent on promoting environmental education in schools in each of the last three years; and what assessment he has made of the impact of changes to the scheme on the funding of environmental education from this source.

Elliot Morley: I have been asked to reply.
	The amount of Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS) funds spent on environmental education within schools under categories c and cc can be summarised as follows.
	
		
			 Calendar year Expenditure (£) 
		
		
			 2001 725,780 
			 2002 234,700 
			 2003 71,300 
		
	
	Note:
	The figure for 2003 is as reported to date and may increase given that Environmental Bodies may report on expenditure for this specific year until April 2004.
	The reform of the LTCS was announced in the pre-Budget report in 2002. As a result, waste projects, previously funded under categories c and cc, are no longer eligible for funding. However, certain types of environmental educational projects are eligible for funding under the current scheme, for example in the biodiversity category.
	A sustainable waste management delivery public spending programme, administered by Defra, has been established following the reform of the LTCS, to ensure that sustainable alternatives to landfill disposal are widely available. Under the public expenditure programme the Waste and Resources Action Programme are responsible for taking forward work on waste awareness.

School Buses

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received about safety on school buses; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: holding answer 29 January 2004
	The Department for Education and Skills has received representations from the National Association of Head Teachers on behalf of their members following their conference resolution on safety on school buses. We have received similar representations from one individual. I met with the NAHT to discuss safety on school buses on 19 January.
	Bus safety legislation falls within the remit of Department for Transport. Local Authorities are required to secure "Best Value" when negotiating home to school transport contracts, and can include a requirement that additional safety measures be included in tenders. When asked to do so we advise authorities to take the safety benefits of seat-belts and other measures into account when considering the suitability of transport for particular journeys.

University of Humberside

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he was informed that the fraud squad of the Israeli police were investigating the unlawful sale of University of Humberside degrees; and what measures he has taken as a result.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 2 February 2004
	My Department was alerted by recent press articles to the investigation by Israeli police. The Higher Education Funding Council for England wrote to the University of Lincoln (formerly the University of Lincolnshire and Humberside) on 26 January 2004 formally requesting details of the University's position.

University of Humberside

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) false and (b) genuine degree certificates have been issued through each branch of University of Humberside franchised operations in Israel since they were established.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 2 February 2004
	The University has informed me that 4,965 students in Israel were awarded degrees and that these are genuine. I have no information on the number of false degree certificates.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Albatrosses

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 5 January 2004, Official Report, column 90W, on albatrosses and petrels, if the United Kingdom will ratify the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels before the first meeting of the parties on 2004.

Elliot Morley: We are keen to ratify this Agreement as soon as possible and very much hope that we will be able to do so before the first meeting of the parties.

Albatrosses

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 5 January 2004, Official Report, column 90W, on albatrosses and petrels, what legal and other assistance the Government are giving to the UK overseas territories of (a) South Georgia/South Sandwich Islands, (b) Falkland Islands and (c) Tristan/Gough to enable them to submit their ratifications of the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels on time for the first meeting of the parties in 2004.

Elliot Morley: The UK continues to provide assistance to, and work closely with, all the Overseas Territories referred to by the hon. Member. We are keen to ratify the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels as soon as possible and we are giving priority to those Overseas Territories that have the necessary legislation in place or have formally requested that ratification be extended to them.

Biodegradable Waste

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of municipal waste going to landfill was biodegradable waste in the last year for which figures are available; and what estimate she has made of the likely change in the next five years.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 29 January 2004
	In 2001–02, 28.8 million tonnes of municipal waste were collected, of which 22.3 million tonnes (77 per cent.) were disposed of to landfill. 70 per cent. of the waste land filled was estimated to be biodegradable using various assumptions. Surveys of biodegradable content of municipal waste are not made routinely, but the Environment Agency plan to carry out a survey to determine the biodegradable proportion of municipal waste arising.

Common Agricultural Policy

Michael Wills: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total amount paid under the Common Agricultural Policy was in the United Kingdom to (a) limited companies and (b) to individuals in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Alun Michael: The figures represent the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund year 2003—16 October 2002 to 15 October 2003.
	The figures include CAP market support and structural funds for the above reporting year.
	These figures represent payments to English farmers. Information for other countries within the UK is a matter for their respective devolved assemblies.
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 Limited Companies 574,273,502.02 
			 Individuals 1,464,032,029.02

Common Agricultural Policy

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will recommend to the Leader of the House that a debate should be held on Common Agricultural Policy reform prior to decisions being made on the methodology to be employed in implementing the single farm payment.[R]

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 27 January 2004
	I am aware that a number of Members would welcome such a debate. However, I am always conscious that there are very heavy pressures on parliamentary time. The timing of such a debate is a matter for the Business Managers.

Deposit Systems

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent studies her Department has undertaken in respect of deposit systems used in other European countries; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 3 February 2004
	No studies have recently been undertaken. However, a study of deposits systems is currently under way, which will take into account international practices. We expect the first part of this study to report at the end of March.

Environmental Protection

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial and practical assistance her Department has given environmental health officers since the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Regime came into force; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Department has provided local authorities with a range of resources to help them carry out their functions under the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Regulations 2000. Financial
	Local authorities recover costs from fees and charges at levels set by the Department. These levels are revised in consultation with all stakeholders annually. As 2003 was the first year of the new PPC regime no figures are available for total costs recovered by local authorities for their PPC function, but total local authorities income for all industrial air pollution functions in 2002–03 was 8.3 million.
	Guidance
	In March 2003 the Department published a guidance manual, specifically for local authorities, which sets out the policy and procedures necessary to determine an application for a PPC permit. Additional guidance notes have been developed on particular issues as a response to requests for further information by local authorities. The Department has issued technical guidance tailored to individual sectors covered by PPC and regulated by local authorities. Six such notes have been issued to date with a further two to follow. These sector guidance notes provide local authorities with a basis upon which to determine what would constitute the "Best Available Techniques" (BAT) for an installation in that sector. Production of further advice and guidance will be guided by the results of research commissioned recently by the Department into local authority functions with respect to industrial pollution control. Support
	Four regional training workshops were held in early 2003 before the start of the local authority IPPC regime, these events catered for over 300 local authorities across England and Wales. Local authorities are encouraged to call upon on-going support from officials within the Department, for advice on policy matters, and the Environment Agency's Local Authority Unit on technical matters. The Department has promoted a network of local authorities, each experienced regulators of a particular industrial sector, to act as "centres of expertise" in order to provide additional advice to local authorities.

European Definitions (Fruit and Vegetables)

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the scale of penalties which will be incurred by retailers for selling (a) peaches which are less than 5.6 cm in diameter, (b) bananas which are less than 13.97 cm long and (c) carrots which are less than 1.9 cm at the thick end, following the Law Lords' decision on the case against Asda initiated by her Department.

Alun Michael: In November 2000 an inspector from the Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate found that some of the fruit and vegetables on display in the Asda store at Fareham in Hampshire contravened EC marketing standards. Asda's representatives argued that the court had no jurisdiction to deal with the alleged offences and the case eventually reached the House of Lords who on 18 December 2003 found in Defra's favour and returned the case to the magistrates court for trial. The full extent of the House of Lords decision can be found on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk .
	This decision confirms the view that the European Community's Marketing Standards for fresh fruit and vegetables and for bananas assist trade and protect consumers from the sale of substandard products can be upheld by prosecuting offenders in the magistrates court. It should be noted that contraventions in the Asda case involved inadequate labelling in relation to fruits such as lemons, apples, oranges and plums as well as the standard of Iceberg lettuces and aubergines. Unlike standards for other fresh fruits and vegetables, which do apply at retail level, the standard for bananas applies only to unripened green bananas. These are inspected only at the port of entry into the UK.
	While the figures given in the question are based on some misapprehension, produce of less than the minimum sizes prescribed in the standards is generally regarded as of unmarketable quality. The penalty for selling produce in breach of the EU Marketing Standards is a fine not exceeding Level 5 on the standard scale (currently £5,000) or imprisonment for up to three months, or both. These are unaffected by the decision of the Law Lords. However, prosecution is a last resort. When inspections show that produce does not comply with the standards, inspectors seek first to secure action to bring it into compliance. Prosecution is considered only where traders have failed to respond to repeated warnings.

Flooding Insurance

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to offer a Government home insurance scheme to owners of homes built on flood plains who cannot obtain commercial insurance cover; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 2 February 2004
	The Government have no plans to introduce such a scheme.
	According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), it is the intention of the insurance industry, that flood insurance should continue to be available to the vast majority of existing properties. As set out in the ABI's Statement of Principles 1 , of the 1.9 million properties on the floodplain, flood insurance will continue to be available for all those properties defended to a minimum standard of 1 in 75, or for those properties where such defences are planned by 2007.
	For other properties (currently estimated at 200,000), insurers cannot guarantee to maintain cover, but will examine the risks on a case-by-case basis, and will use their best efforts to continue to provide cover. ABI believes that nearly all homes are insurable to a degree, provided appropriate local action is taken to protect the property, e.g., use of flood resilient design, accredited protection products, and temporary defences. However, the insurance industry has signalled that inappropriate new developments in the floodplain are unlikely to be able to secure insurance cover.
	1 www.abi.org.uk/Display/File/78/Statement of Principles.doc

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the change in greenhouse gas emissions has been in (a) the UK, (b) Spain and (c) Portugal since 1990.

Elliot Morley: Under the provisions of the Monitoring Mechanism Decision (Council Decision 93/389/EEC as amended by Decision 99/296/EC), member states are required to report annually to the European Commission on their anthropogenic emissions of the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol. The fourth progress report, published by the Commission in November 2003, shows data for member states' greenhouse gas emissions in 2001.
	The base year uses 1990 data for emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. For the fluorinated gases, most member states have chosen 1995 as the base year, as allowed under the Protocol.
	Under the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol, the EU and its member states have agreed to meet their commitments jointly under a burden-sharing arrangement. The EU target, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8 per cent. below base year levels, has been redistributed between member states to reflect their national circumstances, requirements for economic growth, and the scope for further emission reductions. Under the burden sharing agreement Spain and Portugal have agreed to targets that allow for an increase in their greenhouse gas emissions. Spain has a target to increase its emissions of greenhouse gases by 15 per cent. above base year levels by 2008–12, while Portugal has a target to increase emissions of greenhouse gases by 27 per cent. above base year levels by 2008–12.
	The UK's target is to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 12.5 per cent. below base year levels by 2008–12. In 2001, UK emissions were 12.3 per cent. below base year levels; Spanish emissisons were 32.1 per cent. above base year levels and; Portuguese emissions were 36.4 per cent. above the base year levels. Provisional figures for 2002, for the UK only, indicates emissions were about 15 per cent. below the base year.

Gulf Stream

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has assessed on the impact of global warming on the Gulf Stream; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 2 February 2004
	The responses of the Gulf Stream and other component: of the North Atlantic Thermohaline Circulation are being investigated in a major joint research programme by CEFAS and by the RAPID programme of the Natural Environment Research Council, working with Dutch, Norwegian and US Research Councils. This issue is also being investigated by the Hadley Centre, funded by Department, in collaboration with the RAPID programme.
	Under future climate change scenarios due to increased levels of greenhouse gases the Gulf Stream is predicted to weaken. Climate models do not, however, predict that the Gulf Stream will shut down. Consequently the UK and Western Europe are still predicted to warm by several degrees over the next century.

Hazardous Waste

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which landfill sites have been chosen to continue receiving hazardous waste following the implementation of the Hazardous Waste Directive.

Elliot Morley: I have placed in the Library of the House the information requested, as at the end of 2003. The choice of whether any sites under the ownership or control are classified as hazardous is a matter for the landfill operator. From July 2004, the Landfill Directive permits stable non-reactive hazardous waste to be disposed of in a separate cell in non-hazardous landfills. This is expected to result in additional capacity being available for the disposal of hazardous waste.

Horse Passports

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will assess the impact of the European Directive requiring horse passports on the population of semi-feral mountain ponies in Wales.

Don Touhig: I have been asked to reply.
	I understand that no final decision has yet been taken about the point at which Welsh mountain ponies will have to be passported, but implementation of the European legislation in full will require every horse, pony and donkey to have a passport. The Welsh Assembly, which is responsible, is still considering the final domestic legislation to implement the Directive, taking into account the need to preserve both the breed of pony and the environment in which it lives.

Information Technology

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list each Information Technology system (a) supported and (b) in development by the IT Department at Guildford; which of those systems provide information to agencies associated with her Department; which of those systems support payments to outside bodies and individuals, giving the value of the payments for each system and the number of recipients of payments; which of those systems provide statistical information and payments to (i) her own and (ii) other Government departments; and which of those systems provide statistical information to the European Union.

Alun Michael: A table showing the list of each IT system supported by or under development by the IT Directorate at Guildford has been placed in the Library of the House. The table also sets out the additional information requested.

Organic Farming

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Government have made of the contribution of organic farming to curbing the build up of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere.

Elliot Morley: Carbon monoxide is of concern mainly because of its effects on human health and its role in tropospheric ozone formation. As a result, carbon monoxide is one of the pollutants covered by the Government's Air Quality Strategy. No exceedences of the health-based ambient air quality objective have been recorded in the UK for several years.
	According to the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory, over 90 per cent. of the annual UK emissions for 2001 resulted from incomplete fuel combustion, largely from road transport. The contribution of agriculture to the total is small, so organic farming is not expected to have a measurable effect on the total.

Packaging Waste

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to publish the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003; and why they are only available in draft form.

Elliot Morley: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 21 January 2004, Official Report, column 1234W.

Packaging Waste

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 21 January 2004, Official Report, column 1234W, on packaging waste, what her policy is on the penalising of companies involved in the packaging waste process for actions taken in contravention of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) (England) 2003 before they were published.

Elliot Morley: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003 came into force on 1 January and were published in final form on 14 January.
	The Environment Agency is responsible for monitoring compliance with the Regulations.
	Producers are required to register with the Environment Agency by 7 April, providing the required packaging data and fee. There are no actions required under these new Regulations that have to be discharged in the first 14 days of January.

Packaging Waste

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 21 January 2004, Official Report, column 1234W, on packaging waste, what the extent was of the delays caused by the Christmas holiday period to the publishing of the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) (England) 2003.

Elliot Morley: The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003 came into force on 1 January 2004. The final Regulations were published by the Stationery Office on 14 January.

Packaging Waste

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason her Department had not allowed for delays caused by the Christmas holiday period when deciding (a) when to publish the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) (Amendment) (England) 2003 and (b) when they should come into force.

Elliot Morley: The new obligation year under the Packaging Regulations starts on 1 January each year. This determines when new Regulations must come into force. The Department's intention is to publish new Regulations as soon as possible after making them. We would have preferred to see the new Regulations published before 1 January 2004, but from time to time, unintended delays occur which was the case on this occasion.

Pollution

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the action plan on diffuse pollution relating to agriculture to be concluded.

Elliot Morley: The action plan to reduce diffuse water pollution from agriculture in England is currently being developed to ensure agriculture plays, and continues to play, its part to make water in England as clean and healthy as practicable.
	As announced in the pre-Budget report in December 2003, we intend to publish a draft action plan for consultation early this year that will set out options to tackle diffuse water pollution, including a consideration of the pros and cons of using economic instruments.

Sellafield

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress made in ending discharges of TC-99 from Sellafield.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 30 January 2004
	As a result of co-operative efforts between BNFL, the Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive and others, much has already been done to reduce Technetium-99 (Tc-99) discharge levels from Sellafield.
	The discharge limit was cut from 200 TBq/year (terabecquerels per year) to 90 TBq/year in 2000. Ministers also asked the Environment Agency to carry out a review of Tc-99 discharges and the Agency's proposed decision was published in September 2001. One of the proposals, to deal with new arisings of Medium Active Concentrate (MAC) (the complex liquid mixture that contains Tc-99 and other, more radiotoxic, radionuclides) using "MAC-Diversion" abatement technology, was implemented in 2003. This will allow the discharge limit to be reduced to 10 TBq/year in 2006.
	The Environment Agency also proposed further research on abatement of Tc-99 arising from stored MAC. In October 2003, following approval by regulators, a plant-scale trial began using tetraphenylphosphonium bromide (TPP)—a chemical that precipitates Tc-99 out of MAC. Initial results appear to be encouraging. However, a full evaluation of the trial by the regulators is still under way. If their assessment shows that TPP is acceptable for future use to reduce Tc-99 discharges, it will allow the discharge limits to be cut to below 90 TBq/year before 2006.

Warm Front Programme

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what funding her Department has provided for the Warm Front programme in each year of that programme, including the current financial year;
	(2)  when she expects to be able to announce the level of funding for the Warm Front programme in the (a) next financial year and (b) future years of the scheme.

Elliot Morley: The level of expenditure under Warm Front since the start of the scheme is as follows: 2000–01—£72 million; 2001–02—£197 million; 2002–03—£163 million. For the current financial year, 2003–04, £152 million has been allocated to Warm Front.
	Decisions on future funding of the scheme will be considered during the normal Government spending round process and announcements will be made after final decisions have been taken.

Warm Front Programme

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households she estimates are eligible for the Warm Front scheme in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley; and how many households qualify for the Warm Homes Plus element of the programme.

Elliot Morley: We are preparing estimates of the total number of households in England currently eligible for assistance under Warm Front as part of the next spending round process.
	In addition we will be producing an Implementation Plan on the action required to achieve targets and tackle fuel poverty.
	Information on eligibility of the Warm Front scheme cannot be provided at a local authority level. The smallest area for which the Department for Work and Pensions can provide estimates of those eligible for the scheme is regional government office.

Waste Disposal

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her Answer of 14 January 2004, Official Report, column 732W, on domestic waste, in which month the Government will consider the results of that work.

Elliot Morley: The Government will consider the results of work being undertaken as it is progressed during 2004, so no specific month has been identified for this work.

Waste Disposal

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of (a) domestic, (b) commercial and (c) industrial refuse was recycled in each of the last three years.

Elliot Morley: Data from the three most recent annual Municipal Waste Management Surveys shows that the recycling and composting rates for household waste in England have been:
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 1999–2000 10.3 
			 2000–01 11.2 
			 2001–02 12.4 
		
	
	Preliminary indications from the Best Value Performance Indicator returns for 2002–03 suggest a composting and recycling rate for England of 14.9 per cent., however this figure has still to be audited.
	The most recent figures for commercial waste and industrial waste in England are found in the Strategic Waste Management Assessment 2000, published by the Environment Agency, covering 1998–99. The survey collected data from a sample of 20,000 businesses across England and Wales.
	Commercial waste—22.5 per cent.
	Industrial waste—34 per cent.

Waste Disposal

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what subsidies are available for (a) the incineration of waste, (b) the recycling of waste and (c) other waste disposal options; at what rate per tonne those subsidies are paid; and what assessment she has made of the impact of each of the subsidies available on waste disposal options in England.

Elliot Morley: There are no direct subsidies available for waste disposal in the UK. However, in England the Government provide financial assistance to promote sustainable waste management in a number of ways.
	Examples include the Waste Implementation Programme and its components. This sustainable waste delivery programme aims to deliver a package of strategic measures recommended by the Strategy Unit report on waste, helping to move waste management up the waste hierarchy. The Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund provides assistance to local authorities to improve their infrastructure and collection systems for waste, in particular promoting recycling. Additional funding is provided through Waste PFI, for local authorities looking to work in partnership with the private sector to fund long-term waste solutions. £355 million has been provided over the SR2002 period.
	There is also a Government funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) which is designed to create stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products, and remove the barriers to waste minimisation, re-use and recycling.

Waste Disposal

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the environmental benefits of recycling.

Elliot Morley: Recycling has three direct benefits for the environment. By drawing recycled materials back into the production process fewer raw materials have to be extracted to produce the same amount of new products. This helps conserve natural resources and reduces the damage to the environment from resource extraction, for example mining or quarrying.
	It generally takes less energy to re-process recycled materials than generate new products from raw materials.
	Recycling also reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill, which is environmentally harmful.
	Recycling, which requires greater awareness of and direct involvement in waste issues by the public, will have the indirect benefit of encouraging greater public involvement and responsibility for their environment.
	The Government have commissioned a comparative study of the health and environmental effects of different types of waste treatment, which is to be published shortly.

Waste Disposal

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the environmental benefits of incineration.

Elliot Morley: Incineration with controls on emissions is an important part of the Government's strategy on waste management. It is the only suitable way to protect the environment from certain biological pathogens and is the most effective way to render some hazardous chemical wastes safe.
	While re-using, recycling or composting waste can represent a better use of resources, incineration offers an opportunity to extract energy from the waste and is therefore preferable to disposal. This, in turn can reduce extraction and transportation of fuels that would otherwise be used to create energy. By diverting biodegradable waste from landfill, incineration also helps to reduce the production of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
	Government have commissioned a comparative study of the health and environmental effects of different types of waste treatment, which is to be published shortly.

Waste Disposal

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the environmental costs and benefits of landfill.

Elliot Morley: All waste disposal options have environmental impacts. Landfill has potentially adverse effects on air and water quality in addition to the local environmental impacts of noise and smell. The most important environmental impact reported in scientific research is the effect on global warming of emissions of greenhouse gases from the landfill of biodegradable waste. Methane (a greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide) is generated at all landfill sites accepting biodegradable waste. The contribution of methane emitted from landfills to global warming contributes some 25 per cent. of methane emissions in the UK .
	Well operated and regulated landfills nevertheless have a role to play in waste disposal both now and in the future. The EU Landfill Directive (as implemented in England and Wales by the Landfill (England and Wales) Regulations 2002)) sets new standards for the management and engineering of landfill sites to reduce as far as possible the negative environmental impacts and any potential health risk. The Government are committed to reducing the UK's reliance on landfill, which, as well as its negative environmental impacts, makes little practical use of waste and is a missed opportunity to recover value from waste. For these reasons, Waste Strategy 2000 sets out a range of policies to promote the reduction, re-use, recycling and recovery of waste in order to divert it from landfill.

Waste Disposal

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tonnes of waste have been disposed of in England by (a) landfill, (b) incineration and (c) recycling in each of the last five years.

Elliot Morley: According to the most recent Municipal Waste Management Survey, about 28.8 million tonnes of municipal waste were collected in 2001–02. Of this, about 22.3 million tonnes were disposed of to landfill, 2.5 million tonnes were incinerated, and 3.9 million tonnes were recycled. The remaining municipal waste was dealt with using other management methods.
	The latest figures on industrial and commercial waste come from the last Environment Agency survey on commercial and industrial waste conducted in 1998–99, and a survey on construction and demolition waste in England in the same year. It is estimated that in 1998–99 51.2 million tonnes of industrial and commercial waste (including construction and demolition waste) were landfilled, 49.2 million tonnes were recycled and 1.3 million tonnes were incinerated. The Environment Agency is conducting another survey on commercial and industrial waste this year.

Water Companies

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the impact of a £5 billion reduction in water company investment in environmental improvements on the United Kingdom's ability to meet its legal obligations to nature conservation sites; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what representations she has received from the Environment Agency regarding the consequences of reducing investment by the water industry in environmental improvement; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 2 February 2004
	The Government are committed to the maintenance or restoration of internationally and nationally important nature conservation sites, including Natura 2000, Ramsar and Sites of Special Scientific Interest. An assessment of water company programmes' effects on these areas, already under way, will be kept under review.
	The Government published guidance on the contribution expected from water company investment to meeting the United Kingdom's legal obligations in the Secretary of State's Initial Guidance on the Periodic Review in January 2003. The Secretary of State's Principal Guidance on the Periodic Review, which will be published shortly.
	The Secretary of State received formal written advice on the environment programme for the Periodic Review 2004 from the Environment Agency in November 2003. Both the Secretary of State and I have also had meetings and correspondence with the Environment Agency and English Nature to discuss the proposed environment programme.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 15 December 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. A. Faqi.

Chris Mullin: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 3 February 2004, Official Report, column 838W.

Iran

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress towards democracy in Iran.

Mike O'Brien: For elections in any country to be regarded as free and fair, electors should have a chance to vote for candidates with a range of views. We are concerned at reports that many candidates have been disqualified from standing in February's parliamentary elections.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether former members of the Iraqi Ba'ath party will be permitted to stand for election in Iraq under the proposed arrangements being negotiated with the Iraq Governing Council.

Mike O'Brien: The process of de-Ba'athification is an Iraqi led process. Guidelines were announced by the Iraqi Governing Council on 11 January and provide a clear framework for this process. The Transitional Administrative Law, which will include the criteria for nomination to the Transitional National Assembly, is in the final stages of drafting. It is likely to follow the existing practice that nominees shall not have been a member of the dissolved Ba'ath Party at the rank of Division Member (uthu firqah) or higher—unless exempted by the National De Ba'athification Commission—or a member of the past agencies of repression, or one who participated in the oppression of citizens.

South Africa

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which official from Trade Partners UK was given a sabbatical to work with BAE Systems in South Africa; what date and for what period this sabbatical was given; and what position the official held prior to his sabbatical.

Patricia Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.
	Nicholas McInnes is a DTI Civil Servant who was granted Special Leave Without Pay at his request with effect from 30 April 2003 for one year. He is now working in South Africa. Previously he was Director, International Management Directorate in UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) formerly Trade Partners UK.

Sri Lanka

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the progress of the peace process in Sri Lanka.

Mike O'Brien: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes) on 26 January 2004, Official Report, column 62W.

Sri Lanka

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the (a) President and (b) Prime Minister of Sri Lanka about the political situation in Sri Lanka.

Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary met the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe in June 2003. However, the British High Commissioner in Colombo also has regular discussions with both the President and Prime Minister. He last met the President on 3 December 2003 and the Prime Minister on 12 January this year.

SCOTLAND

Parliamentary Questions

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will reply to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland for answer on 22 January, on the Scottish whisky industry.

Anne McGuire: I replied to the hon. Member's question on 3 February 2004, Official Report, column 757W.

TRANSPORT

Public Bodies

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who the members of the (a) Civil Aviation Authority, (b) Traffic Area Eastern and (c) Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee were on 1 January; what their term of office is in each case; and whether they are remunerated.

Tony McNulty: The names, dates of appointment and annual remuneration of members of the Civil Aviation Authority, Traffic Area Eastern England and Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee are recorded in the following table.
	
		
			 First name Surname Appointed from Appointedto Remuneration 
		
		
			  Civil Aviation Authority 
			 John Arscott 03/01/04 02/28/09 Yes 
			 Mike Bell 11/14/03 11/13/08 Yes 
			 Harry Bush 01/04/03 03/31/08 Yes 
			 Chris Jesnick 03/01/01 29/02/04 Yes 
			 James Keohane 01/01/04 12/31/08 Yes 
			 David Lusher 05/01/02 03/31/05 Yes 
			 Roy McNulty 09/01/04 08/31/08 Yes 
			 Roger Mountford 04/01/03 03/31/08 Yes 
			 Helen Simpson 08/01/01 07/31/04 Yes 
			 Roy Swainson 07/01/02 03/31/06 Yes 
			 David Walker 10/03/03 Resignationfrom ACAS No 
			  Traffic Commissioner—East England 
			 Geoffrey Simms 01/06/98 07/08/06 Yes 
			  
			  Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee 
			 Pravinkant Amin 01/07/03 30/06/06 No 
			 Sian Baldwin 01/01/02 31/12/04 No 
			 Ann Bates 01/01/02 31/12/04 No 
			 Neil Betteridge 01/07/03 30/06/06 No 
			 Josephine Clairmont 01/07/03 30/06/06 No 
			 Lekh Dindayal 01/01/02 31/12/04 No 
			 Jean Dunlop 01/07/03 30/06/06 No 
			 David Finnegan 01/01/02 31/12/04 No 
			 Julie Giles 01/07/03 30/06/06 No 
			 Alan Hartley 01/01/02 31/12/04 No 
			 Roy Hayter 11/10/02 31/12/04 No 
			 Roger Hewitt 01/07/03 30/06/06 No 
			 Grahame Lawson 01/07/03 30/06/06 No 
			 Jenny Meadows 01/07/03 30/06/06 No 
			 Thomas Pey 01/01/02 31/12/04 No 
			 David Pugh 01/01/02 31/12/04 No 
			 Keith Richards 01/01/02 31/12/04 No 
			 Laura Smales 01/07/03 30/06/06 No 
			 Carol Thomas 01/07/03 30/06/06 No 
			 Richard West 01/07/03 30/06/06 No

Railways

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the total level of investment provided by the private sector in the railway industry was in each of the financial years since the publication of the 10 Year Plan;
	(2)  if he will list the railway investment projects supported by the private sector in the last financial year; what the total level of funding provided by the private sector for these projects was (a) in the last financial year and (b) in total since the projects began; and what the private sector proportion of total funding for these projects was.

Tony McNulty: The table shows total private rail investment in each of the three years 2000–01, 2001–02 and 2002–03:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2000–01 2,958 
			 2001–02 3,386 
			 2002–03 3,156 
		
	
	Rail investment projects supported by the private sector in 2002–03 include the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL), West Coast Route Modernisation (WCRM), the train protection scheme, stations and depots, Waterloo-Fawkham Junction and the East Coast Main Line.
	The total level of private funding raised by London and Continental Railways (LCR) in 2002–03, mainly for CTRL, was £2.1 billion. The total amount spent by Network Rail (NR) in 2002–03 on the other projects listed was, respectively, £761 million, £140 million, £44 million, £26 million and £11 million.
	Comparable figures for the private and public sector contributions to the CTRL project are not readily available. The total level of private funding raised by LCR since the CTRL project began, mainly for that project, is £6.3 billion, not all of which has yet been drawn. The project also benefits from Public Sector Support (including capital and operating grants and loans, less amounts recovered by Government in respect of land rentals and proceeds from property developments) estimated in 2002 to total, over the life of the project, £1.8 billion in present value terms (discounted at 6 per cent. real to January 1997).
	Total spending to date on the WCRM project, by NR and its predecessor Railtrack, is of the order of £3 billion. Total NR spending on the other projects listed above, since they began, is not readily available. It is not possible accurately to estimate the proportion of total funding for these projects which is provided by the private sector, because some private rail investment is indirectly funded by the public sector through franchise payments and access charges.

Rural Bus Grant

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce the levels of the rural bus grant to local authorities for 2004–05; and if he will enhance those grants to support authorities in securing the continuation of community transport schemes whose central Government funding has expired.

Tony McNulty: The total amount allocated to local transport authorities in Rural Bus Subsidy Grant is due to rise from £48.5 million in the current financial year to £51 million in 2004–05. An announcement will be made shortly on the increases for individual authorities which will depend in part on consideration of newly available population data from the 2001 census. Following that announcement it will be for each authority to decide on what schemes and services the grant should be spent.

Swanwick Air Traffic Control Centre

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the cost is of the software upgrade at Swanwick Air Traffic Control Centre to be made by National Air Traffic Services as a result of the near-miss between a Virgin Atlantic and a Delta Airlines aircraft in November 2002;
	(2)  what the value is of software that will become redundant at Swanwick Air Traffic Control Centre owing to the software upgrade to be carried out as a result of the near-miss between a Virgin Atlantic and a Delta Airlines aircraft in November 2002;
	(3)  if he will list the spending on computer systems at the Swanwick Air Traffic Control Centre for each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: Spending on its computer systems is a matter for NATS. The incident in November 2002 has been assessed by the UK Airprox Board—an independent body of experts—as carrying no risk of collision. It was the result of human error and the software has been modified by NATS to preclude a repeat of such human error.

Taxis

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received concerning the Office of Fair Trading's report recommending de-restriction of taxis; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 3 February 2004
	We have received just over 600 representations about the OFT's report into licensed taxi and private hire vehicle services. We are now considering them carefully so that we can respond to the OFT within 120 days of their report. The representations include the views of key taxi and private hire stakeholders that we sought.

US Ships (Decommissioning)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the International Maritime Organisation recommendations on changing ballast water mid-ocean were followed in respect of the ships sent from the US for dismantling in Hartlepool.

David Jamieson: holding answer 3 February 2004
	The vessels were appropriately ballasted for a towed transoceanic passage to the UK. No changes to the ballast water were made on route or after arrival at Hartlepool. If a decision was to be taken to discharge ballast water in Hartlepool then Able UK would need to submit a ballast water management plan for approval by the Environment Agency.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Motor Sport

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on progress with the Department's commitment to investment in British motor sport.

Richard Caborn: The Department, along with the Department of Trade and Industry, recently announced a £16 million investment into motorsport, to take forward the recommendations in the Motorsport Competitiveness Panels report. This is the responsibility of the Motorsport Development Board, and my Officials continue to work with the Government Motorsport Unit to take forward the sporting recommendations in the report.
	The East Midlands Development Agency also continues to work with Formula One Management, Octagon and the British Racing Drivers' Club about the long-term future of Silverstone.

Tourism

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with One North-East about its responsibilities in relation to tourism.

Richard Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have discussed tourism with the Chairs of all the Regional Development Agencies, in the light of their taking over tourism responsibilities from 1 April 2003, and I met Tim Cantle-Jones, the ONE Board member with specific responsibility for tourism on 13 January 2004 to discuss progress on tourism reform in the North East. Also, officials from the Department and from the Government Office for the North East have been in regular contact with ONE as it has taken on strategic responsibility for tourism in the region, and have also had discussions with the Northumbria Tourist Board. I have asked ONE and the other RDAs to work with their tourist boards and the industry to decide upon the best support structure for the tourism industry in their particular region. I understand that ONE is working towards the introduction of a new structure for the delivery of tourism in the North East. DCMS officials continue to work with the RDAs to help ensure a planned and smooth transition to any new arrangements.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Deaths in Custody

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will list those individuals and organisations (a) to whom (i) her Department, (ii) its executive agencies and (iii) the non-departmental public bodies for which her Department is responsible sent a copy of the consultation "Deaths in custody: a review of the role and practices of the Crown Prosecution Service": a consultation paper, and (b) from whom each received a response.

Harriet Harman: An initial consultation paper for the "Deaths in Custody: A review of the role and practices of the Crown Prosecution Service" was sent to 151 people at the end of April 2002. 37 Consultees responded.
	An all-day seminar was held on 21 May 2002 to discuss the review. 83 people attended that seminar. The report; "Deaths in Custody: a review of the role and practices of the Crown Prosecution Service" was sent out to 217 people. 18 agreed to be named as contributing to the report.
	Some MPs were consulted, including those on the Home Affairs Select Committee, Joint Human Rights Committee and the Parliamentary Labour Party and Constitutional Affairs Committee. Also consulted were the judiciary, police, prisons, coroners, overseas DPPs, the legal and medical professions, academics, civil liberties groups, victims and interest groups and members of the general public who expressed an interest.
	The 18 people who contacted my office agreeing to their contribution to the report being made known are as follows:
	
		
			 Name  
		
		
			 Jonathan Laidlaw Counsel 
			 Gerald Butler QC Counsel 
			 Anthony Heaton-Armstrong Former Chairman of Review of Coroners 
			 Louise Christian Christian Khan 
			 Dr. Roy Palmer HM Coroner, Southern District of Greater London 
			 Lindsay Pennell Victim Support 
			 Selena Lynch Coroner for Inner South District Greater London 
			 Lord Campbell of Alloway QC, ERD — 
			 Dr. Margaret Stark Association of Forensic Physicians (formerly Association of Police Surgeons) 
			 Dr. Guy Norfolk Association of Forensic Physicians 
			 Phil Pavey CRE 
			 Robert Johnson Anoka County Attorney, US 
			 Win Griffiths MP 
			 Nogah Ofer Hickman & Rose 
			 Daniel Machover Hickman & Rose 
			 Wendy Towers PCA (at that time) 
			 Kathleen Lowe Law Society 
			 Margaret Warren (for her late husband, Peter Warren) Member of the public

Hutton Report

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Solicitor-General if the Attorney-General will discuss with Lord Hutton the investigation of the source of the leak of Lord Hutton's findings to Mr. Trevor Kavanagh of The Sun, with reference to the witness summons clauses of the Criminal Procedure and Investigation Act 1996.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 3 February 2004
	The Attorney-General does not propose to discuss this matter with Lord Hutton. Lord Hutton set out the process for those to receive embargoed copies of his report. The number of advance copies and the associated undertakings of confidentiality were agreed between each of the parties and Lord Hutton.

WALES

Correspondence

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many letters from hon. Members from Wales he answered during (a) June, (b) July, (c) August, (d) September, (e) October and (f) November 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: Details of correspondence from hon. Members from Wales answered in June to November 2003 are as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 June 2 
			 July 7 
			 August 1 
			 September 3 
			 October 3 
			 November 5 
		
	
	During that period, the Wales Office also answered 238 other letters and dealt with over 2,500 inter-departmental letters.
	As the hon. Member is aware, post devolution most of the executive functions of the Secretary of State for Wales now rest with the National Assembly for Wales.
	Hon. Members also take greater opportunity to raise matters personally rather than in writing.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

India

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of poverty levels within the Indian state of Jharkhand.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: The latest official figures on poverty that relate to the State of Jharkhand pertain to the year 1999–2000 (National Human Development Report 2001); at this time Jharkhand was part of the state of Bihar. The percentage of people under the official poverty line was 42.6 per cent. out of the total population of 99.9 million. DFID has not undertaken an independent poverty assessment in the State of Jharkhand.

Iraq

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether there are UK representatives on the International Advisory and Monitoring Board in Iraq.

Hilary Benn: The United Kingdom is not represented on the International Advisory and Monitoring Board for Iraq (IAMB). Its members are representatives of the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the Arab Fund for Social and Economic Development and the World Bank. The IAMB's role is to provide for the independent monitoring of the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI), so it would not be appropriate for a party to DFI spending decisions to be represented on it.

Iraq

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to his answer of 26 January 2004, Official Report, column 24W, on Iraq, who the voting members are of the Programme Review Board which approves Coalition Provisional Authority plans for expenditures from the Development Fund for Iraq; and who the Department's secondees are to the Coalition Provisional Authority.

Hilary Benn: The voting members of the Iraqi Coalition Provisional Authority Program Review Board (PRB) are representatives of: the Iraqi Minister of Finance; the CPA's Economic Affairs, Governance and Security Policy Offices, and Office of Infrastructure and Operations; the Coalition military (Combined Joint Task Force 7); the Iraqi Council for International Co-operation; and the Governments of the United Kingdom and Australia.
	DFID secondees to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad are currently filling the posts of: Director of Operations, Policy Adviser, Financial Adviser, Senior Adviser and Institutional Development Adviser to the Ministry of Public Works, Electricity Adviser, Gender Adviser and Logistics Manager for the food Public Distribution System.
	Twelve secondees, directly employed by DFID, are filling a range of posts in CPA South in Basra; and six such secondees are working in CPA Governorate offices in Dhi Qar, Kirkuk and Wasit. A further 25 posts in the CPA in Basra are currently being filled through a DFID contract with the Crown Agents.

Iraq

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to his answer of 20 January 2004, Official Report, column 1144W, on Iraq, if he will place in the Library reports of the meetings between his Department's staff and Coalition Provisional Authority South regarding the review of projects funded by his Department in Southern Iraq.

Hilary Benn: We will shortly be publishing an Interim Country Assistance Plan (ICAP) setting out DFID's programme in Iraq over the next two years. The ICAP reflects discussions between DFID staff and the Coalition Provisional Authority (South). A copy will be placed in the Library.

Iraq

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the projects funded by his Department in southern Iraq that have not been subcontracted to local firms.

Hilary Benn: DFID supports a staffing project which supplies the Coalition Provisional Authority in Southern Iraq with a range of reconstruction policy advisers. This project does not include sub-contracts with local firms.
	DFID does, however, fund a number of projects in Southern Iraq which do include sub-contracts with local firms. They are as follows:
	The Recovery and Infrastructure Group project is rehabilitating a number of important buildings in Southern Iraq such as hospitals and government buildings. The contract is managed by Halcrow, but local firms carry out all infrastructure work.
	Similarly, Halcrow manage a contract to rehabilitate a number of regional offices. Local firms carry out all reconstruction and all materials are procured from local firms.
	The Emergency Infrastructure Project is managed by Mott MacDonald. The bulk of funding for this project is spent on international procurement. However, local firms have been contracted to carry out reconstruction work. Goods and materials have also been procured from local firms for this project.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development who the members of the Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority's programme review board are; what criteria were adopted to choose the members of the board; how many United Kingdom representatives are on the board; and what their period of membership is.

Hilary Benn: The membership of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) Programme Review Board (PRB) comprises representatives of: the Iraqi Minister of Finance; the CPA's Economic Affairs, Governance and Security Policy Offices, and Office of Infrastructure and Operations; the Coalition military (Combined Joint Task Force 7); the Iraqi Council for International Co-operation; and the Governments of the United Kingdom and Australia. The UK Government have one representative on the Board, normally the Head of the DFID Office in Baghdad. Membership of the Board is not held in a personal capacity.

Nigeria

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which consultants are retained by his Department to provide the Government of Nigeria with advice on public service delivery and civil service reform; what the value of the contracts with the consultants is; and what the nature of the consultants' brief is.

Hilary Benn: The requested information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 No. Project title Consultant Consultant's brief Current value (original contract value plus cost of any increases or extensions) (£) 
		
		
			 1. Public Service Delivery Initiative Centre for Management and Policy Studies To provide a team of experts with relevant experience to work with the Government of Nigeria's new Service Delivery Team 54,787 
			 2. State and Local Government Project (SLGP) HTS Consulting Ltd. To enhance the capacity and effectiveness of state and local government in Nigeria to manage resources and ensure delivery of services, in the interests of poor people 20,508,289 
			 3. Partnership for Transforming Health Services (PATHS) HLSP Consulting Ltd. The PATHS programme will assist Nigerian-led initiatives for health system reform (2)7,181,515  
			 4. Health Sector Reform Early Start Project: Change Agent Programme (CAPS) HLSP Consulting Ltd. CAPS is a sister project to PATHS. It aims to provide two 'Change Agent Programmes' (CAP), one for "Health Sector Reform" and the other for "Immunisation Programme Reform" (IPR) 1,674,128 
			 5. Access to Justice Programme The British Council The Access to Justice Programme's purpose is to support the development of Nigeria-led justice sector reform so that pro-poor policies are implemented (2)6,583,210 
			 6. Procurement Agent for Nigeria Contraceptives and Communication against HIV/Aids Programme Population Services International (PSI) The programme will contribute to 90 per cent. of all young adults having access to STD/HIV/AIDS prevention methods by 2005 52,800,000 
		
	
	(2) Inception

Sudan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the levels of (a) malnutrition, (b) disease and (c) destitution in Southern Sudan in (i) December 2001, (ii) December 2002 and (iii) December 2003.

Hilary Benn: It was not possible to obtain the information on the overall levels of malnutrition in Southern Sudan for the month of December in the years requested. The following table lists rates of malnutrition for November through to February for the years indicated, and at the locations mentioned. These are from NGO surveys. As the NGOs would undertake surveys in areas where high levels of malnutrition were suspected they should not be taken as representative of the whole population. The rates give the proportion of children acutely malnourished. This approximates to the percentage of children who are less than 80 per cent. of the international reference weight for a given height:
	
		Southern Sudan: Rates of malnutrition -- Percentage
		
			 County 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Aweil East 13.9 n/a 25 
			 Aweil South n/a 21.1 22.1 
			 Aweil West 13.9 n/a n/a 
			 Gogrial 3 n/a n/a 
			 Magwe 17 23.1 n/a 
			 Northern Leech 16.4 n/a n/a 
			 Phou State 16.8 n/a n/a 
			 Sobat 23.4 n/a n/a 
			 Twic 25.1 n/a n/a 
			 Yirol 9.9 n/a n/a 
		
	
	The only year where we have information on levels of disease in December in Southern Sudan is 2002. Over that year there were outbreaks of measles and whooping cough reported, with 132 cases of whooping cough of whom two died, and 85 cases of measles with three deaths. There were also reports of rabies, but there are no actual numbers of cases affected. Basic health indicators in Southern Sudan are persistently very poor, and among the worst in Africa.
	In the absence of information specifically related to destitution we have referred to the monthly report of the Famine Early Warning Systems Network, which provides information on those requiring emergency humanitarian assistance in the form of food aid. The December issue of this report usually gives the harvest assessment and the needs assessment for the following year. For 2001 the main findings were that emergency needs were linked to the presence of insecurity in parts of Bahr-el-Ghazal, Upper Nile and Eastern Equatoria. In 2002 below average harvest combined with insecurity resulted in persisting requirements for humanitarian relief in parts of Bahr-el-Ghazal, Upper Nile and Eastern Equatoria. In 2003 agricultural production was generally good, but need for emergency assistance remained in many communities in Upper Nile and Bahr-el-Ghazal.

Statutory Sick Pay

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people employed in his Department have claimed statutory sick pay for (a) less than one week, (b) one to three weeks, (c) four to six weeks, (d) seven to 12 weeks, (e) 13 to 20 weeks and (f) 21 to 28 weeks in each year since 1997.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Details of staff who have received Statutory Sick Pay in the periods specified could only be obtained at disproportionate cost to the Department.
	DFID is committed to managing sickness absence effectively, and we are making progress in reducing the levels of absence year on year.

Sudanese Refugees

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the humanitarian condition of Sudanese refugees from the Beja community who are living in Eritrea; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: We have not made any specific assessment of Sudanese Beja refugees in Eritrea. However, we keep closely in touch with Government of Eritrea, NGO and UN reports/assessments, and are therefore aware of the concern that has recently been raised about the humanitarian situation faced by the Beja refugees.
	UK is willing to play its part in the provision of assistance to address humanitarian needs, in any part of Eritrea and with any community, where there are urgent, unmet humanitarian needs.
	We have been supporting supplementary food distributions to the Beja in Eritrea through the NGO Dutch Interchurch Aid.

Voluntary Service Overseas

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's grant to Voluntary Service Overseas (a) is this year and (b) will be next year; and how many Voluntary Service Overseas volunteers this money supports.

Mr. Gareth Thomas: Under the Partnership Programme Agreement with DFID, the VSO grant for 2004–05 will be £24,460,000. The grant for 2004–05 will be £24,860,000. In the past two years, the grant has made up approximately 75 per cent. of VSO's total income and we have no reason to believe that this will change during 2003–04 and 2005–06.
	The total number of volunteers supported by the grant in 2003–04 will be 1505. In 2004–05, the number of volunteers supported is estimated to be 1540.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Homelessness

Chris Grayling: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on homelessness.

Yvette Cooper: Homelessness is a serious problem affecting families across the country, but particularly concentrated in London. The Government have increased funding to prevent and address homelessness, strengthened the safety net for vulnerable people, and reduced the level of rough sleeping by two thirds. Councils have also cut substantially the number of homeless families in Bed and Breakfast.

Registered Social Landlords

Tony McWalter: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what plans he has to encourage councils to adopt registered social landlords as principal agents for development.

Keith Hill: Guidance to local authorities already stresses the need to consider using registered social landlords when funding provision of affordable housing. This will generally provide more dwellings for a given amount of public subsidy and increases choice and competition.

Housing

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures he is taking to encourage greater energy efficiency in new house building.

Phil Hope: The Energy White Paper, published on 24 February, announced that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister would start work immediately on the next major revision of the Building Regulations. This work has started and using the energy efficiency provisions of the Building Regulations we aim to bring new standards into effect in 2005.

Housing

Michael Jack: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to assess the impact on North West house builders of his current housing policy.

Keith Hill: The housing policies in Regional Planning Guidance are monitored by the North West Regional Assembly. A full review of the housing figures in Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) will take place in 2006.

Housing

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the number of (a) households, (b) people, (c) accommodation units and (d) dwellings that will fall within the scope of the mandatory houses in multiple occupation licensing scheme proposed in the Housing Bill.

Keith Hill: The Government estimate that about 120,000 houses in multiple occupation will be licensed under the mandatory licensing scheme proposed in the Housing Bill. It is estimated that 360,000 to 450,000 dwellings up to 720,000 households (including single person households) will be protected by the regime.

Local Government

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the review of local government boundaries.

Nick Raynsford: The Boundary Committee for England is currently undertaking reviews of the structure and boundaries of local government in the three northern regions prior to referendums on directly elected regional assemblies.There are currently no plans for further reviews of structures and boundaries.

Fire Service

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with Essex county council on his plans to regionalise the fire service.

Nick Raynsford: The Government have no plan to regionalise the Fire and Rescue Service other than in regions which vote in a referendum for an elected regional assembly. No such referendum is proposed in the Eastern region.

Regional Government

George Osborne: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will set a date for the referendum on regional government in the north-west.

John Prescott: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to hold the referendums in the three northern regions in autumn 2004.
	But before a date can be set:
	The Boundary Committee must make its recommendations on restructuring local government in two-tier areas; and
	Parliament must approve the Orders calling the referendums.
	We expect to lay these in Summer.

Regional Government

Peter Luff: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will meet a delegation from Worcestershire to discuss the report by Professor David Blanchflower and Professor Andrew Oswald on the calculation of an appropriate regional funding adjustment for the county.

Nick Raynsford: No. During the formula review, which was completed in 2002 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister looked in some detail at the different geographies, data and methods that could be used to calculate the ACA. Several of the options advocated by Professors Oswald and Blanchflower in their report were examined and rejected during the formula review
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister considered the Oswold and Blanchflower report as part of the written representations received on the local government settlement for 2004–05. However, as we made clear following the recent review it is our intention that the funding formulae will be frozen for at least 2004–05 and 2005–06. There would therefore be little purpose in the suggested meeting.

Beaches

Julian Brazier: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether beaches form part of functional flood plains for the purpose of planning policy guidance.

Keith Hill: Planning policy guidance note (PPG) 25 defines the functional flood plain as the unobstructed or active areas within the land at risk of river and coastal flooding shown on indicative flood plain maps prepared by the Environment Agency where water flows regularly in times of flood. Areas that are defended are passive until such time as the defences are overtopped or breached and are not regarded as part of the functional flood plain.
	The term functional flood plain was primarily coined in connection with river flooding, where the proper functioning of a river flood plain serves to reduce the impact of flooding on other areas. However, since most beaches are flooded by tides twice a day, and are undefended they could logically be considered to be functional flood plains, as could undefended areas above mean high water that are flooded by the sea on a regular basis. There may be instances where a storm beach created by extreme high waters has its crest above the flood level with an annual probability of occurrence of 0.5 per cent. In such a case the storm beach itself might not be classified as functional flood plain because of the very long periods between potential flooding events.

Beaches

Julian Brazier: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for what reasons beaches are not part of the definitions of land contained within planning policy guidance; and if he will take steps to ensure that they are.

Keith Hill: Beaches are part of the definition of land within planning policy guidance. Control under the planning system extends to the seaward boundary of local planning authorities, which is generally taken to be the mean low water mark unless statutory provisions state otherwise at a particular location. Any development on a beach above mean low water would thus be subject to planning control. Planning policies in national or regional guidance, where they are relevant, would be material planning considerations in the formulation of development plans and the determination of applications for planning permission.

Beaches

Julian Brazier: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which planning policy guidance notes cover proposed development on beaches.

Keith Hill: Planning policy guidance notes (PPGs) cover all land that is subject to control under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, namely all land within local authority boundaries. In coastal areas, the seaward boundary of local authorities is generally taken to be mean low water. Thus the planning system and all the PPGs would cover relevant developments within a local authority, including that on the intertidal or supratidal areas of beaches above mean low water. Particular consideration is given to development in coastal areas, including that on beaches, in PPG 20 Coastal Planning and in PPG 25 Development and flood risk.

Dame Shirley Porter

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress being made in removing the damehood from Dame Shirley Porter.

Yvette Cooper: The Government do not comment on individual honours cases.

Homebuy Loans

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many Homebuy loans were made to (a) those in social housing, (b) those on housing waiting lists and (c) key workers in London in 2002–03.

Keith Hill: A total of 332 Homebuy loans, funded by social housing grant, were approved for property purchases during 2002–03.
	A Housing Corporation survey, "CORE Sales", identified 242 of sales on Homebuy terms carried out in London during 2002–03. Of these:
	(a) 88 per cent. were to households in social housing;
	(b) a further 11 per cent. were to households who were not in social housing but who were on a local authority waiting list or common housing register.
	(c) The Housing Corporation's investment system shows that there were eight Homebuy loans to key workers in London approved during 2002–03.
	It should be noted that a further 1,400 key workers in London were assisted under the Starter Home Initiative in 2002–03—many of whom received equity loans similar to the Homebuy model.

Housing Benefit

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how and by which department housing benefit in respect of tenants whose properties (a) are managed by arm's length management organisations, (b) have been the subject of large-scale voluntary transfers and (c) are council owned is paid; for what reasons they are not all paid on the same basis as the social security fund; and what the effect of the method of funding is on central Government housing allocations to each type of operator.

Chris Pond: I have been asked to reply.
	Local authorities are responsible for the payment of housing benefit to eligible claimants. Housing benefit is paid as a rent rebate to local authority tenants and rent allowance to tenants of private landlords (including individual private landlords, housing associations and registered social landlords); tenants whose properties are managed by arm's length management organisations remain local authority tenants.
	Currently as part of the housing benefit scheme local authorities in England receive a subsidy to reimburse them for correctly determined housing benefit claims. Responsibility for payment of the indirect housing benefit subsidy element, which for English authorities was previously distributed by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, will be transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions from April 2004. This element represented the 5.5 per cent. residual subsidy paid to authorities for rent allowance, council tax benefit and non-housing revenue account rent rebates, which supplemented the 95 per cent. direct subsidy that the Department for Work and Pensions already pay; from April this year the Department for Work and Pensions will pay all HB/CTB benefit subsidy as a direct grant, payable at 100 per cent. for correct claims.
	In addition responsibility for rent rebate subsidy will transfer to the Department for Work and Pensions from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister from April 2004. As a result of the transfer of all housing benefit and council tax benefit funding streams to the Department for Work and Pensions, a full review of the subsidy rules has been undertaken in order to produce a simpler, clearer system for reimbursing local authorities.
	Housing allocations take no account of these arrangements.

Local Government Finance

Anne Campbell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list (a) the 10 local authorities which are due to receive the greatest percentage increases in grant in the financial year 2004–05 and (b) the amounts of those increases.

Nick Raynsford: Having adjusted for changes in function, the 10 largest percentage increases in grant are tabled as follows:
	
		
			 Local authority Adjusted 2003–04 grant 2004–05 grant Change Percentage change 
		
		
			 Oadby and Wigston 2.689 3.002 0.312 11.6 
			 Blaby 3.744 4.101 0.357 9.5 
			 South Staffordshire 4.743 5.158 0.415 8.7 
			 Milton Keynes 152.958 166.097 13.139 8.6 
			 North Somerset 104.058 112.921 8.863 8.5 
			 Congleton 3.609 3.909 0.299 8.3 
			 Telford and the Wrekin 116.443 125.771 9.328 8.0 
			 Cambridgeshire 279.796 302.047 22.252 8.0 
			 Reading 89.805 96.933 7.128 7.9 
			 Thurrock 109.162 117.776 8.615 7.9

Public Bodies

Keith Vaz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister who the members of the (a) Housing Action Trust Liverpool, (b) Audit Commission, (c) Housing Action Trust Stonebridge, (d) Buildings Regulations Advisory Committee and (e) Housing Corporation were on 1 January; what their term of office is in each case; and whether they are remunerated.

Keith Hill: The details of the members, their term of office in each case and whether they are remunerated are listed in the following tables:
	
		Building Regulations Advisory Committee as at January 2004(3)
		
			 Member First appointed Re-appointed Expiry 
		
		
			 Allen, Paul 1 February 1998 1 February 2001 31 January 2004 
			 Brown, Tony 1 February 2001  31 January 2004 
			 Cassar, May 1 February 2002  31 January 2005 
			 Conway, John 1 February 1998 1 February 2001 31 January 2004 
			 Cowans, Julie 1 February 1998 1 February 2001 31 January 2004 
			 Finn, Michael 1 July 1991 1 January 2002 31 December 2004 
			 Gibson, David 1 February 1998 1 February 2001 31 January 2004 
			 Holliday, David 1 February 2002  31 January 2005 
			 Jones, Philip 1 October 2000 1 October 2003 30 September 2006 
			 Mills, Christopher 1 February 2001  31 January 2004 
			 Roberts, Phil 1 February 1998 1 February 2001 31 January 2004 
			 Sheehan, Frank 1 October 2000 1 October 2003 30 September 2006 
			 Smith, David 1 February 1998 1 February 2001 31 January 2004 
			 Soane, Alastair 1 February 2001  31 January 2004 
			 Stanton, John 1 February 2001 1 February 2003 31 January 2006 
			 Sullivan, Lynne 1 February 2002  31 January 2005 
			 Thirumoolan, Arumugathasan 1 February 2002  31 January 2005 
			 Walsh, Sean 1 October 2000 1 October 2002 30 September 2004 
			 Warburton, Peter 1 February 2002  31 January 2005 
			 Williams, Kelvin 1 October 2000 1 October 2003 30 September 2006 
			 Wright, Clare 1 February 1998 1 February 2002 31 January 2005 
			 Young, Janet 1 February 2002  31 January 2005 
		
	
	(3) None receive remuneration.
	
		
			 Member First appointed Re-appointed Expiry Remuneration 
		
		
			 The Housing Corporation(4)   
			 Armitage, Eric (Deputy and Chair Registration Committee) 1 October 1997 1 October 2000 30 September 2004 Yes 
			 Arthur, Richard (Chair of Registration and Super Committee) 1 October 2000  30 September 2004 Yes 
			 Button, Sheila (Chair of Finance and Audit Committee) 1 October 1997 1 October 2000 30 September 2004 Yes 
			 Dixon, Peter (Chair) 1 October 2003  30 September 2006 Yes 
			 Drew Smith, Sheila 1 December 2002  30 September 2005 Yes 
			 Duncan, Michael (Chair of Investment Committee) 1 October 2000  30 September 2004 Yes 
			 Fawcett, Julie 1 December 2002  30 September 2005 Yes 
			 Higgins, David 24 March 2003  Ex-officio No 
			 Huka, Geraldine 1 October 2001  30 September 2004 Yes 
			 Hutchinson, Yvonne 1 July 1998 1 October 2001 30 September 2005 Yes 
			 Moledina, Shaukat 1 December 2002  30 September 2005 Yes 
			 Monckton, Ivan 1 April 1999 1 January 2003 30 September 2005 Yes 
			 O'Neill, Sandi 1 December 2002  30 September 2005 Yes 
			 Perry, Norman 2 October 2000  Ex-officio No 
			 Winckler, Andrew 6 April 1998 1 October 2001 30 September 2005 Yes 
			  
			 Housing Action Trust–Liverpool(4)   
			 Allen, Nicola 1 October 2002  30 June 2005 Yes 
			 Chape, Alan 1 October 2002  30 June 2005 Yes 
			 Clark, Eileen 8 February 1993 1 May 2002 30 June 2005 Yes 
			 Dykes, Rodney (Deputy Chair) 8 February 1993 1 June 2000 30 June 2005 Yes 
			 Gallimore, Marjorie 8 February 1993 1May 2002 30 June 2005 Yes 
			 Hardaker, Nick 12 October 2003  30 June 2005 Yes 
			 Hubbard, Charles 1 July 1994 1 July 2000 30 June 2004 Yes 
			 Kemp, Erica 1 September 1999 1 September 2002 30 June 2005 Yes 
			 Parker, Graham 7 March 1999 7 March 2002 30 June 2005 Yes 
			 Pettitt, John 1 May 2002  30 June 2005 Yes 
			 Ridley, Paula (Chair) 26 February 1992 8 February 1999 30 June 2005 Yes 
			  
			 Housing Action Trust—Stonebridge(4)   
			 Ainger, Barbara 1 November 2000 1 November 2003 31 December 2007 Yes 
			 Balogun, Julie-Ann 1 November 2003  31 December 2007 Yes 
			 Bamford, Terence 1 November 2000 1 November 2003 31 December 2007 Yes 
			 Bolaji, Hakeem 1 November 2000 1 November 2003 31 December 2007 Yes 
			 Bragman, Paul 1 December 2003  31 December 2007 Yes 
			 Ferguson, Jennifer 1 November 2003  31 December 2007 Yes 
			 Harrod, Richard 1 June 2002 1 November 2003 31 December 2007 Yes 
			 Magloire, Estella 1 November 2003  31 December 2007 Yes 
			 Maloney, Colum 1 June 2002 1 November 2003 31 December 2007 Yes 
			 Pickering, Caroline (Chair) 17 July 2000 1 November 2003 31 December 2007 Yes 
			 Wilson, Peter 1 December 2003  31 December 2007 Yes 
			  
			 Audit Commission(4)
			 Bowen, John 1 September 2001  31 October 2004 Yes 
			 Bundred, Steven 1 November 2003  Ex-officio No 
			 Dixon, Jennifer 1 November 2003  30 April 2006 Yes 
			 Filkin, Elizabeth 1 November 1999 1 May 2003 30 April 2004 Yes 
			 Hart, Graham 1 November 1999 1 May 2003 30 April 2004 Yes 
			 Hoyle, Roger 1 January 2002  30 June 2005 Yes 
			 Jones, Peter 1 November 2003  30 April 2006 Yes 
			 Lane, Pauline 1 December 2000  30 April 2006 Yes 
			 Lemos, Gerard 1 December 2000  30 April 2006 Yes 
			 Lyons, Michael 1 November 2003  30 April 2006 Yes 
			 Moss, David 1 December 2000  30 June 2004 Yes 
			 Pomeroy, Brian (Chair of Audit Committee) 1 May 2003  30 April 2006 Yes 
			 Scott, Ros 1 November 2003  30 April 2006 Yes 
			 Smith, Peter 1 November 2003  30 April 2006 Yes 
			 Strachan, James (Chair) 5 November 2002  4 November 2005 Yes 
		
	
	(4) As at January 2004

Public Bodies

Keith Vaz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister who the members of the (a) Rent Assessment Panel Greater Manchester and Lancashire, (b) Rent Assessment Panel London, (c) Rent Assessment Panel Merseyside and Cheshire, (d) Rent Assessment Panel Northern, (e) Rent Assessment Panel Southern and South Eastern, (f) Rent Assessment Panel Yorkshire, (g) Rent Assessment Panel East Midland, (h) Rent Assessment Panel South Western and (i) Rent Assessment Panel Chilterns, Thames and Eastern were on 1 January; what their term of office is in each case; and whether they are remunerated.

Keith Hill: A list of the members of the Rent Assessment Panels has been made available in the Library of the House.
	An appointment as part-time member is for a (renewable) period of five years. Part-time members are remunerated on a daily or half-daily fee basis according to the number of hours worked. Presidents and vice-presidents receive a salary.

Public Bodies

Keith Vaz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister who the members of the (a) Advisory Committee Justices of the Peace in Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside, (b) Better Regulation Task Force, (c) New Millennium Experience Company and (d) Civil Service Appeals Board were on 1 January; what their term of office is in each case; and whether they are remunerated.

Douglas Alexander: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is as follows:
	Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace in Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside
	Chairs and members receive no remuneration except expenses. (See Table A)
	Better Regulation Task Force
	Chairs and members receive no remuneration except expenses. (See Table B)
	Responsibility for New Millennium Experience Company rests with my hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
	Civil Service Appeals Board
	The Chair, Deputy Chairs and members all receive remuneration. (See Table C)
	
		Table A: Advisory Committees on Justices of the Peace in Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside
		
			 Position Name of appointee Term ofappointment held 
		
		
			 Chairman Mr. R. Bracegirdle, JP 1999–2007 
			 Member Mrs. B. Parker, JP 1996–2004 
			 Member Reverend G. Rainford 1998–2006 
			 Member Mrs. E. A. Midgley 2000–08 
			 Member Mr. S. F. Shipway , JP 2001–09 
			 Member Mr. B. Rigby, JP 2002–10 
			 Member Mrs. S. E. Edwards , JP 2002–10 
			 Member Mr. A. J. Wallace 2002–10 
			 Member Mrs. C. A. Hamilton, JP 2003–11 
			 Chairman Mr. J. R. Bisby, JP 2001–09 
			 Member Mr. J. P. A. Tuley 1996–2004 
			 Member Mrs. C. Beesley, JP, BA 1998–2006 
			 Member Mrs. M. A. McCaldin, JP 1998–2005 
			 Member Mr. M. J. Fisher 1999–2007 
			 Member Miss H. M. Pape-Hughes 2000–08 
			 Member Dr. R. B. Henig, CBE, JP 2001–09 
			 Member Dr. E. A. M. Roberts, JP 2001–06 
			 Member Mrs. C. Lomas , JP 2002–10 
			 Chairman Mr. D. Winthrop, JP 1999–2007 
			 Member Mr. R. T. G. Lord 1996–2004 
			 Member Mrs. U. J. B. Walton, JP 1997–2005 
			 Member Mr. J. E. Hurst 1999–2007 
			 Member Mrs. J. H. Rigby, JP 2000–06 
			 Member Mrs. M. A. P. McKenzie-Murdoch, JP 2001–09 
			 Member Mr. T. A. Harris 2000–07 
			 Member Mr. J. A. Lark, JP 2002–10 
			 Member Mrs. C. Rourke, JP 2002–10 
			 Chairman Mr. P. F. Robinson 1996–2004 
			 Member Mr. E. Bolton, JP 1997–2005 
			 Member Mrs. A. N. W. Chapman, JP 1997–2005 
			 Member Mr. B. Holden, JP 2000–04 
			 Member Mr. P. W. Watkins 2003–07 
			 Member Mr. G. R. Hill, JP 2001–09 
			 Member Mrs. G. N. Rostron, JP 2002–10 
			 Member Mr. C. J. Clark 2002–10 
			 Member Mrs. V. Whittam, JP 2003–11 
			 Chairman Mrs. E. A. Parkinson, JP 1999–2007 
			 Member Mrs. B. Duxbury, JP 1998–2004 
			 Member Mrs. M. Fishwick, JP 1998–2004 
			 Member Mr. B. M. Mulligan, JP 1999–2007 
			 Member Mr. M. J. Povey, JP 1999–2007 
			 Member Mr. J. M. Edwards 2000–08 
			 Member Mr. J. A. McGowan, JP 2001–09 
			 Member Mrs. D. M. Dunne , JP 2002–10 
			 Member Mrs. G. Lewis 2002–10 
			 Member Mr. M. R. Malik 2002–10 
			 Chairman Mr. M. Cresswell, JP 1996–2005 
			 Member Mrs. J. Armistead, JP 1996–2005 
			 Member Mrs. J. M. Winstanley, JP 1996–2005 
			 Member Mrs. H. S. Harvey 2000–08 
			 Member Councillor K. J. Helsby, MBE, 2000–08 
			 Member Revd. F. D. Smith 2002–11 
			 Chairman Mr. E. G. Hubert 1997–2007 
			 Member Mr. J. P. Hyndman , JP 1999–2004 
			 Member Mrs. V. S. McGrory, JP 2002–04 
			 Member Mrs. J. E. Hinkley, JP 1997–2007 
			 Member Mr. E. Ahmed, JP 1999–2007 
			 Member Mrs. J. R. Smale 1999–2008 
			 Member Mr. I. D. Hurdley, JP 2002–10 
			 Member Mrs. L. B. Sable, JP 2002–10 
			 Member Miss B. E. Farragher 2003–10 
			 Chairman Mrs. J. L. Berry, JP 1998–2005 
			 Member Mrs. B. E. Creme , JP 1999–2005 
			 Member Mr. S. Terry, JP 1999–2008 
			 Member Mrs. B. H. Warnock, JP 1999–2008 
			 Member Mr. M. M. Elder 1999–2005 
			 Member Mr. G. Sable 1999–2008 
			 Member Mr. M. J. Taylor 2000–08 
			 Member Mr. R. S. Rees 2003–11 
			 Member Ms A. R. Malach 2003–11 
			 Member Ms K. A. Rigby, JP 2003–11 
			 Member Mrs. K. J. Heppleston-Baines, JP 2003–11 
			 Member Mr. M. B. Enderby, JP 2003–11 
			 Member Ms G. D'Silva, JP 2003–11 
			 Member Mr. L. W. T. Collier, JP 2003–11 
			 Chairman Mrs. A. Sykes, JP 1995–2004 
			 Member Mrs. J. Cooper, JP 1996–2007 
			 Member Mr. M. J. Garner, JP 1996–2004 
			 Member Mr. M. Flacks, JP 1998–2007 
			 Member Mr. D. R. Jones 1998–2007 
			 Member Mrs. M. C. Bray, JP 2001–10 
			 Member Mrs. J. H. Molineux, JP 2001–10 
			 Member Mr. A. K. Hazell 2001–10 
			 Member Mr. I. P. Armstong 2002–10 
			 Chairman Mr. R. Matthews, JP 1997–2004 
			 Member Mrs. D. Ainsworth, JP 1995–2004 
			 Member Mrs. M. C. Ashworth 1999–2004 
			 Member Mr. J. M. Coupe 2001–07 
			 Member Mr. R. Needham, JP 1996–2007 
			 Member Dr. A. Rauf, JP 1999–2007 
			 Member Mrs. C. V. Ashworth-Lord, JP 2001–10 
			 Member Mrs. G. J. Wilde, JP 2001–10 
			 Member Mr. J. K. Davies 2003–10 
			 Chairman Mrs. P. A. Holt, JP 1999–2008 
			 Member Mr. F. Sullivan 1994–2005 
			 Member Mr. J. Connor, JP 1994–2005 
			 Member Mr. B. Ball 1996–2008 
			 Member Mr. D. Bentham, JP 1997–2005 
			 Member Mrs. S. Portman, JP 1999–2008 
			 Member Ms C. R. Borders, JP 2002–11 
			 Member Mr. R. S. Smith, JP 2002–11 
			 Member Mrs. J. L. Dunn 2002–11 
			 Member Mr. D. Marsh 2002–11 
			 Chairman Mr. A. Roberts 1995–2005 
			 Member Mr. S. B. Berry 1996–2004 
			 Member Mr. D. J. Wildgoose, JP 1994–2005 
			 Member Mrs. M. A. Evans, JP 1995–2008 
			 Member Mrs. D. A. Manton, JP 1995–2008 
			 Member Mrs. H. C. Jenkins 1999–2008 
			 Member Mrs. P. P. King, JP 2002–11 
			 Member Mr. J. T. Jackson, JP 2002–11 
			 Member Dr. C. S. Raju 2002–11 
			 Chairman Mr. D. Baggott, JP 1995–2004 
			 Member Mrs. B. E. Ilett, JP 1995–2004 
			 Member Mrs. J. Hurlston 1997–2006 
			 Member Mrs. S. Marston, JP 1997–2006 
			 Member Mrs. A. Saltsman, JP 1997–2006 
			 Member Mrs. J. A. Watson 1999–2008 
			 Member Mr. M. Watson 2002–10 
			 Member Mr. A. Bridge, JP 2002–10 
			 Member A. J. H. Van Weerdenburg, MBE, JP 2002–10 
			 Chairman Mrs. J. Brown. JP 1995–2004 
			 Member Mr. M. J. Harkin, JP 1995–2004 
			 Member Mrs. G.L. Williams, JP 1995–2004 
			 Member Mr. J. F. Connor, JP 2000–07 
			 Member Mrs. M. Lucas, JP 2000–07 
			 Member Dr. R. J. M. Gray 2001–10 
			 Member Mr. G. Homer, JP 2001–10 
			 Member Mr. J. R. Marsh 2001–10 
			 Member Miss. K. J. Holder 2001–10 
			 Chairman Mrs. M. Wall, JP 1996–2005 
			 Member Mr. C. B. F. J. D'Souza 2000–08 
			 Member Mrs. C. E. Hitchmough 2000–08 
			 Member Mrs. M. Griffin, JP 2001–04 
			 Member Mr. G. Cunliffe, MBE, JP 2002–11 
			 Member Mr. T. M. Gregory, JP 2002–11 
			 Member Mr. A. Bent, JP 2003–11 
			 Member Mr. J. Winter, JP 2003–11 
			 Chairman Mr. B. R. Worster-Davis, QBE, JP 2002–07 
			 Member Mrs. M. H. Davitt, JP 1995–2004 
			 Member Mr. J. Alexander, JP 1997–2004 
			 Member Mr. J. G. Moore. JP 1996–2007 
			 Member Mrs. C. E. Humphries 1999–2007 
			 Member Mrs. K. P. Pye, JP 2002–10 
			 Member Mr. A. D. Disley 2003–11 
			 Member Mrs. L . Murray 2003–11 
			 Member Mr. E. G. Grimes 2003–06 
			 Chairman Mr. M. W. Evans 1998–2007 
			 Member Mrs. S. E. Mashiane-Talbot , JP 1998–2007 
			 Member Mrs. D. E. Morton, JP 1998–2007 
			 Member Mrs. D. Bogle, JP 2002–10 
			 Member Mr. B. M. Cave, JP 2002–10 
			 Member Mr. G. Green, JP 2002–10 
			 Member Mrs. M. K. Kakar, JP 2002–10 
			 Member Prof. J. L. Verbov, JP 2002–04 
			 Member Prof. R. S. Jones, QBE, JP 2002–07 
			 Member Miss J.G. Keller 2003–10 
			 Chairman Mr. G. H. Lloyd, JP 1996–2005 
			 Member Mrs. E. A. Barnett, JP 1994–2005 
			 Member Mr. D. J. Allman, JP 1999–2008 
			 Member Mrs. A. Shute,JP 1999–2008 
			 Member Dr. A. D. Havard 1999–2008 
			 Member Mr. F. J. Hyland, JP 2003–11 
			 Member Ms D. Bridson, JP 2003–11 
			 Member Dr. P. A. Downham, 2003–11 
			 Member Mrs. J. R. Carver 2003–11 
			 Chairman Mrs. H. Williams, JP 1996–2004 
			 Member Mr. S. Cooper, JP 1996–2004 
			 Member Mrs. J. M. Dawkins, JP 1996–2005 
			 Member Mr. B. Corbin 1998–2007 
			 Member Mr. D. McCaughrean 2000–09 
			 Member Ms. J. A. Ash 2000–09 
			 Member Mrs. E. A. Sinker, JP 2001–09 
			 Chairman Mr. B. T. Spencer 1998–2004 
			 Member Mrs. M. Brooks, JP 1995–2004 
			 Member Dr. P. J. Tunstall, JP 2002–04 
			 Member Mrs. D. M. Hi1ton, JP 1998–2007 
			 Member Mr. D. Wainwright, JP 1998–2007 
			 Member Mr. E. Hazeldine 1998–2007 
			 Member Mr. B. W. Bawden, JP 2002–10 
			 Member Mr. A. G. Dudley, JP 2002–10 
			 Member Miss C.A. Roberson 2002–10 
			 Chairman Mr. M. H. Middleton, JP 1997–2005 
			 Member Mr. R. J. Pullin, JP 1995–2004 
			 Member Mrs. S. Spencer, JP 1995–2004 
			 Member Mrs. P. M. Snowden, JP 1997–2007 
			 Member Cdr. C. J. Arthurs, JP 2002–11 
			 Member Mrs. C. A. Alien, JP 2002–11 
			 Member Mrs. D. S. Shaw 2003–11 
			 Member Mr. R. McWilliams 2003–11 
		
	
	
		Table B: Better Regulation Task Force
		
			 Position held Name Term of appointment 
		
		
			 Chair Mr. D. Arculus 2002–05 
			 Deputy Chair Ms T. Graham QBE 1997–2006 
			 Member Ms M. Alderson 1999–2004 
			 Member Mr. S. Falder 1999–2004 
			 Member Mr. M. Gibbons 2002–06 
			 Member Dr. K. Hawkins 2002–06 
			 Member Ms D. Hutton CBE 1999–2006 
			 Member Mr. S. Petch 2000–04 
			 Member Dr. I. Peters 2000–06 
			 Member Dr. P. Rowlatt 2000–06 
			 Member Ms J. Russell 1998–2006 
			 Member Ms S. Stubbs 2002–06 
			 Member Mr. T. Sweeney 2002–06 
			 Member Mr. R. Symons CBE 2002–06 
			 Member Mr. S. Ward 1999–2004 
			 Member Ms V. Younghusband 2003–05 
		
	
	
		Table C: Civil Service Appeal Board
		
			 Position held Name Term of appointment 
		
		
			 Chairman Mr. J. H. Davies 1999–2005 
			 Deputy Chair Mr. M. E. G. Fogden CB 1997–2005 
			 Deputy Chair Mr. J. Sheldon 2001–04 
			 Member Mr. G. Bertram CB 2001–04 
			 Member Ms S. Brown 1998–2004 
			 Member Mr. J. F. Carling 1999–2005 
			 Member Mr. E. McGivern CB 1998–2004 
			 Member Mr. D. W. Rayson 1999–2005 
			 Member Mr. G. L. Reid CB 1999–2005 
			 Member Mr. A. Turner CBE 1999–2005 
			 Member Mr. J. Turner CB 2000–05 
			 Member Mr. I. Ward 2001–04 
			 Member Mrs. C. Alderson 2000–06 
			 Member Mr.A. J. Audley 2001–07 
			 Member Mrs. L. J. Clare 1998–2004 
			 Member Mrs P. Cryer 1999–2005 
			 Member Mr. D. Evans 2000–06 
			 Member Mrs. D. Hall Hall 1996–2004 
			 Member Mr. P. J. Kelly 1999–2005 
			 Member Mr. T. Thomson 1998–2004 
			 Member Mr. F. Winrow 1999–2005

Swale Borough Council

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many requests have been made to the Legal Department of Swale Borough Council under Section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998 since 24 November 2003.

Phil Hope: It is a matter for Swale Borough Council to answer.

Thames Gateway

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many additional housing units have been targeted for (a) Castle Point and (b) Canvey Island since March 2000.

Keith Hill: The housing growth targets for Castle Point (and Canvey Island) have been determined by Regional Planning Guidance 9 and are set out within Essex County Council's current Structure Plan, which relates to the period 1996 to 2011. For that period, Castle Point is required to accommodate 2,400 new dwellings.
	The East of England Regional Assembly is in the process of preparing new Regional Planning Guidance for the East of England (RPG14). This will contain housing growth targets for local authority areas within the region (including Castle Point).

TREASURY

Advancing Enterprise Summit

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  who the speakers are at the Advancing Enterprise summit;
	(2)  what the sources of funding were for the Advancing Enterprise summit;
	(3)  what the (a) total cost and (b) cost to the United Kingdom Government is of the Advancing Enterprise summit;
	(4)  if he will list the representatives of (a) the United Kingdom Government, (b) the United States Administration and (c) business and other representatives attending the Advancing Enterprise summit.

John Healey: The speakers and chairs at the conference 'Advancing Enterprise: Britain in a Global Economy' on 26 January 2004 were my right hon. Friends the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretaries of State for Education and for Trade and Industry, myself and:
	Arun Sarin
	Dr. Jean-Pierre Gamier
	Sir Terry Leahy
	Dr. Eric Schmidt
	Paul Walsh
	Hans Eichel
	Charlie McCreevy
	Rodrigo Rato y Figaredo
	Jean Claude Trichet
	Gerrit Zalm
	George Cox
	Charles Dunstone
	Caroline Plumb
	Dame Marjorie Scardino
	Lee Williams
	William H. Gates
	Sir Howard Davies
	Brendan Barber
	Sir Roy Gardner
	Digby Jones
	Ben Verwaayen
	Mervyn King
	Niall Fitzgerald
	The hon. Donald Johnston
	John Snow
	Dr. Alan Greenspan
	Lord Browne of Madingley
	Richard Lambert
	Professor Richard C. Levin
	Sir Tom McKillop
	Professor Alison Richard
	Gus O'Donnell
	Ed Balls
	A list of the senior business leaders and Government representatives who attended has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The costs of the conference are being met entirely from HM Treasury's resources. The aggregated cost of all Departmental events will be included in HM Treasury's annual report.

Asylum Seekers

Peter Lilley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what allowance is made in the Government Actuary's projection of future immigration for (a) the number of people whose claims for asylum are rejected who remain in this country, (b) the number of people who overstay their visas and (c) the ending of visa restrictions for inhabitants of new member states of the EU.

Ruth Kelly: The latest (2002-based) official population projections for the United Kingdom were published by the Government Actuary's Department in December 2003. The migration assumptions underlying the projections use the internationally agreed definition of a migrant. A migrant is defined as someone who changes his or her country of usual residence for a period of at least a year so that the country of destination becomes the country of usual residence.
	For the long-term migration assumptions, an allowance is made for asylum seekers who are granted leave to stay in the UK. It is assumed that asylum seeker applications will be processed within twelve months and no allowance is made for failed asylum seekers who may remain in the UK for longer than 12 months as there is no reliable evidence on which to base such an estimate.
	The migration assumptions include an allowance for persons who enter the UK as short-term visitors but are subsequently granted an extension of stay for a year or longer. No allowance is made for those who overstay their visas illegally, again as there is no reliable evidence on which to base such an estimate.
	Failed asylum seekers who do not leave the UK and people who overstay visas illegally are part of the illegal population. The size of this group is particularly difficult to estimate because they often do not show up in official records and are motivated to remain hidden. This is also a problem experienced by most other EU countries: in a recent survey only one country out of 15 reported that they made any allowance for illegal migration in their population projections.
	No allowance has been made for the possible effects of enlargement of the European Union. At present, the precise impact of this change cannot be predicted, although recent Home Office research has concluded that the effect on the UK is likely to be fairly small.

Carers

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of carers aged 65 years and over.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Sandra Gidley, dated 4 February 2004
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the number of carers aged 65 years and over. (152757)
	Figures from the Census 2001 National Report for England and Wales indicate that there were 944,650 people aged 65 and over providing unpaid care. The table below shows the distribution of these carers according to the number of hours of care provided per week.
	
		Number of people aged 65 and over providing unpaid care, 2001: England and Wales
		
			 Care provided per week Number 
		
		
			 1 to 19 hours 501,318 
			 20 to 49 hours 102,182 
			 50 or more hours 341,150 
			 Total number of carers 944,650 
		
	
	Source:
	Table SO25 Census 2001 National Report for England and Wales

Child Mortality

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the main cause of death in children aged under 15 years was in 2003.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Tim Loughton, dated 4 February 2004
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the main cause of death in children aged under 15 was in 2003. (152564)
	The latest year for which data are available is 2002. The attached table shows the percentage of deaths by major causes of death and age groups in children aged under 15.
	
		Percentage of deaths by age-group for main causes of death(5), England and Wales, 2002(6)
		
			 Cause of death All ages under 15 Under 1 1–4 5–14 
		
		
			 Infectious and parasitic diseases 6.1 6.5 9.4 3.3 
			 Neoplasms 13.5 1.5 16.2 26.4 
			 Blood and blood-forming organs 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.5 
			 Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic disorders 4.8 2.8 7.1 5.8 
			 Mental disorders 0.5 0.0 0.0 1.5 
			 Nervous system 10.7 8.6 11.4 12.8 
			 Circulatory system 4.7 4.0 5.1 5.3 
			 Respiratory system 6.7 6.5 6.4 7.2 
			 Digestive system 3.1 2.8 3.8 2.9 
			 Pregnancy and childbirth 8.6 19.8 1.3 0.0 
			 Congenital malformations 15.4 20.5 17.6 7.8 
			 Signs, symptoms and ill-defined conditions 9.4 19.6 3.4 1.0 
			 External causes of death 14.3 5.3 16.3 23.9 
			 Other causes 0.8 0.9 0.5 0.7 
			 Number of deaths 2,377 1,001 551 825 
		
	
	(5) The causes of death were selected using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes. The cause groups presented are entire chapters from the ICD-10 classification, as follows:
	Infectious and parasitic diseases—AOO-B99;
	Neoplasms—COO-D48;
	Blood and blood-forming organs—D50-D89;
	Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic disorders—EOO-E90;
	Mental disorders—FOO-F99;
	Nervous system—GOO-G99;
	Circulatory system—100–199;
	Respiratory system—JOO-J99;
	Digestive system—KOO-K93;
	Pregnancy and childbirth—OOO-O99;
	Congenital malformations—QOO-Q99;
	Signs, symptoms and ill-defined conditions—ROO-R99;
	External causes of death—V01-Y89.
	(6) Figures are for the number of deaths occurring in the calendar year.

Children With Heart Defects

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the incidence was of children born with heart defects in each year since 2000.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Tim Loughton, dated 4 February 2004
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for the incidence of children born with heart defects in each year since 2000. (152548)
	The figures for 2000 and 2001 (the latest year available) are shown in the table below.
	
		Number of children born in England and Wales with heart defects(7), and rate of occurrence: 2000 and 2001
		
			 Year Number Rate(8) 
		
		
			 2000 1,250 20.6 
			 2001 1,069 17.9 
		
	
	(7) Heart defects was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes 145,6,147.1.
	(8) Rate per 10,000 live and stillbirths.
	Source
	Health Statistics Quarterly no. 16: Annual update—Congenital anomaly statistics, notifications 2001 England and Wales.
	Congenital Anomaly statistics for 2002 are scheduled for publication in April 2004.

Financial Services

John Mann: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people he estimates are actively using internet-based stockbroking services in the UK; and how many he estimates are doing so in other EU states.

Ruth Kelly: In the table are the latest available figures for the number of clients using online stockbroking services in the UK. This information is taken from a survey conducted for the Association of Private Client Investment Managers and Stockbrokers by ComPeer.
	
		
			  Number of clients 
		
		
			 Q3 2003 461,848 
			 Q2 2003 432,556 
			 Q1 2003 348,700 
			 Q4 2002 362,040 
		
	
	Figures for other EU states are not readily available.

Future Tax Yield

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Report of the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Inland Revenue for the year ending 31 March 2003 (Cm 6050), Page 107, Table 5, Note 5, in which year the inclusion of (a) taxpayer favourable adjustments and (b) additional sums arising from the method of estimating future tax yield prior to that employed in 2002–03 in calculating the compliance performance of the Large Business Office for publication in Inland Revenue annual reports first commenced; who first sanctioned the use of each of these methods to calculate Large Business Office compliance performance; and on what date sanction was given.

Dawn Primarolo: In April 1998 the Large Business Office introduced an automated system to record adjustments arising from its enquiries into large companies' tax affairs. Inadvertent design faults resulted in the incorrect reporting of the results referred to. As soon as these faults were identified, they were corrected and the results for 2002–03 have been reported on the correct basis

Illegal Meat Imports

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Department's progress in tackling illegal meat imports.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Crawley (Laura Moffat) on 8 January 2004, Official Report, column 423W.
	Two of the four new detector dogs enter into full operational service in mid-February and the remaining two are expected to do so early in April.

Pensions

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) residential and (b) other properties have been purchased under the Self Investment Personal Pension system since its introduction.

Ruth Kelly: The purchase of residential properties is not currently permitted under the current rules for Self Invested Pension Plans. No figures are available on the numbers of other properties purchased under Self Invested Pension Plans

Pensions

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the changes proposed in his pre-Budget statement in respect of Self Investment Personal Pensions upon (a) availability of housing for rent, (b) the amount and proportion of second and holiday homes, (c) the availability of housing in areas with a high preponderance of second and holiday homes and (d) other aspects of the housing market.

Ruth Kelly: The Government's technical paper "Simplifying the taxation of pensions: the Government's proposals" proposes allowing pension funds to invest in all types of investments, including residential property. The impact of this change, if introduced, will depend on the extent to which trustees and administrators decide that residential property is a suitable pension scheme investment.

Pensions

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria will apply to the purchase of residential properties under his proposed changes to Self Investment Personal Pensions.

Ruth Kelly: The Government's technical paper "Simplifying the taxation of pensions: the Government's proposals" proposes allowing pension funds, including Self Invested Pension Plans, to invest in all types of investments, including residential property. There will be no specific criteria relating to residential properties. There will be a single set of simple, flexible investment rules underpinning the simplified regime.
	The private use of pension scheme assets by a scheme member will be subject to a tax charge.

Stamp Duty

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue to be raised from stamp duty land tax on leases in the next tax year.

Ruth Kelly: The yield from stamp duty land tax on the premium and rental elements of leases is forecast to be around £450 million in 2004–05.

Stamp Duty

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the percentage of commercial rental contracts liable for stamp duty land tax.

Ruth Kelly: Approximately 60 per cent., of new commercial leases will pay no stamp duty land tax on the rental element. This compares with only 9 per cent. of leases that were exempt as regards the rental element under the previous stamp duty regime.

Stamp Duty

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received concerning the future of e-conveyancing following the implementation of stamp duty land tax.

Ruth Kelly: None.

Thalidomide Trust

Marsha Singh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made by the Inland Revenue to establish the Thalidomide Trust's right to make distributions tax exempt under section 329 of the Finance Act 1996.

Dawn Primarolo: Discussions between the trustees of the Thalidomide Trust and officials of the Inland Revenue about the tax treatment of payments to beneficiaries of the trust are continuing. No conclusion has yet been reached.

US-UK Enterprise Agreement

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will list the (a) measures introduced and (b) events taking place as part of the US-UK enterprise agreement;
	(2)  what meetings officials from his Department had with representatives of the United States Administration regarding the US-UK enterprise agreement;
	(3)  what the (a) total cost and (b) cost to the United Kingdom Government is of the US-UK enterprise agreement.

John Healey: The initiatives established in the US-UK Enterprise Agreement are:
	a scholarship programme;
	a forum to share best practice in enterprise education between school and related enterprise education providers and universities in the two countries;
	a joint government-business meeting to discuss common productivity challenges and policy implications;
	closer links between technology transfer offices in the US and the UK through the exchange of technology transfer professionals;
	a review to study the removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers between Europe and America which we are taking forward with our European partners including France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
	Treasury officials have had a number of meetings and discussions with their counterparts in relevant departments in the United States Administration, and are in regular contact with US officials to develop these proposals.
	The scholarships will offer the opportunity for entrepreneurs from the UK to study in the US. The budget for these scholarships is in the process of being finalised. Events to follow up the agreement will be announced in due course.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Accident and Emergency Departments

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting time was for treatment in each of Northern Ireland's accident and emergency departments in each month of the last year for which figures are available; and what steps he is taking to reduce these figures.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	In order to relieve pressure on hospital accident and emergency departments, Boards and Trusts are providing a range of additional services during the winter months, including extra community care provision, which helps to reduce demand on hospital services. Additional support is also being provided in primary care, where a flu vaccination programme has been running, which is targeted at over-65s and those at risk. Work will also be taken forward in all acute hospitals during 2004–05 on improving the flow of emergency patients.

Acquired Brain Injury

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people suffered a traumatic head injury in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: Traumatic head injuries cover a broad spectrum of severity of injury including those who do not present at hospital, those who attend Accident and Emergency Departments but are not admitted, those who are admitted for treatment and those who die before reaching hospital. Information is available only on those admitted to hospital. The table as follows provides figures on the number of admissions to hospital in Northern Ireland where the primary diagnosis is for head injury and, of these, the number of admissions where the primary diagnoses are fractures to the skull or facial bones or intracranial injuries. Information is provided for the last five years for which data are available.
	
		Total number of Admissions to Hospital(9) with injuries to the head for the years 1998–1999 to 2002–2003
		
			 Years All head injuries Skull fracture or intracranial injury 
		
		
			 1998–1999 7,273 2,573 
			 1999–2000 7,126 2,407 
			 2000–2001 7,027 2,284 
			 2001–2002 7,236 2,352 
			 2002–2003 6,874 2,399 
		
	
	(9) Deaths and Discharges are used as an approximation for Admissions
	Source
	Hospital Inpatients System

Acquired Brain Injury

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reason the Department for Employment and Learning decided to provide no further funding to the ReConnect training facility for people with acquired brain injury.

Jane Kennedy: In December 2003, the Department for Employment and Learning advised ReConnect that its application for ESF assistance, under the second round of applications for the Programme for Building Sustainable Prosperity, was unsuccessful.
	The Department runs an open competition for such funding. On this, as in the previous round, there were more acceptable projects than budget available to meet their bids. Applications are scored, by selection panels, against the requirements of the Programme's measures and the funding available is allocated to those which score highest. The ReConnect application did not score highly enough to receive an allocation.
	Unsuccessful bidders have a right of review, for which the closing date was 30 January 2004. A request for review has been received from this project, which is due to be heard in early February 2004.

Acquired Brain Injury

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total expenditure has been on providing community-based training and rehabilitation for people with acquired brain injury in Northern Ireland by (a) the Department for Employment and Learning and (b) the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.

Jane Kennedy: The information is as follows:
	(a) Department for Employment and Learning (DEL)
	In the last eight years, ERDF and ESF assistance of £5.1 million and DEL match funding of £520,000 has been paid to two organisations providing community-based training where participants have included people with acquired brain injury.
	It is not possible to disaggregate the share of funding which might be attributed to the number of participants with acquired brain injury.
	(b) Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
	The information is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ards Hospital

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to broaden the range of services offered on the Ards Hospital site.

Angela Smith: The Ulster Community and Hospital HSS Trust is currently developing plans to redevelop the Ards Hospital site. The Trust's proposals include the provision of modern Local Health and Social Care facilities, which will consider a range of services, including Primary Care Services, Mental Health Services, Children's Services including Community Paediatric and Family and Child Care Services, In-Patient, Out-Patient and Diagnostic Services.
	The Trust is also presently undertaking a review of the Community Hospital Services currently provided on the Ards Hospital site and when this review is completed in the Spring of this year, a decision will be taken on the final configuration of these services.

Ards Hospital

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to extend the opening hours of the minor injuries units at (a) Bangor and (b) Ards Community Hospitals.

Angela Smith: The Ulster Community and Hospitals HSS Trust is presently engaged in a review of its Community Hospital Services. This review will be considering the relationship between Emergency Services at the Ulster Hospital and Minor Injuries provision located at Ards and Bangor Community Hospitals.
	I understand that the review will be completed in the spring of this year, and a decision will then be made on the proposed configuration of services at Bangor and Ards Community Hospitals, which may include the extension of opening hours for Minor Injury Services within the Trust.

Civil Service

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to resolve the Northern Ireland Civil Service pay dispute; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Extensive negotiations over several months did not result in an agreed pay deal for the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration this year. Management side presented an offer worth 3.67 per cent. on 5 November. As this could not be agreed, and Trade Union side declined to negotiate within the 3.67 per cent. envelope. We took the decision to proceed to pay the award and communicated this to staff and Trade Union side on 27 November. I have made clear to Trade Union side that the 3.67 per cent. deal is the maximum that can be paid. We are, however, open to exploring other reasonable means of resolving the dispute. A meeting of the Central Whitley Council between Trade Union and Management sides took place on 29 January 2004, and we are considering the points discussed then.
	Members of the Northern Ireland Civil Service working in the Northern Ireland Office are subject to separate pay negotiations involving three Unions: Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance, Public and Commercial Services and the First Division Association.
	A formal offer of 3 per cent. has been made to the Unions.

Community Support Programme

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his assessment is of the Community Support Programme in Northern Ireland.

John Spellar: The Community Support Programme is an important collaborative initiative between the Department for Social Development and all 26 district councils aimed at developing a core local community infrastructure across Northern Ireland. This infrastructure supports the delivery of a number of important Government programmes, such as Neighbourhood Renewal and Investing in Health, which aim to tackle the root causes of deprivation and social exclusion, as well as other Government objectives around poverty through the provision of funding for frontline advice and information agencies, such as Citizens' Advice Bureaux and Independent Advice Centres.
	The work of the Community Support Programme has been strengthened by the implementation of the recommendations of the policy document "Beyond the Centre", published in 2000, which provide a clearer focus on people-centred community development and on targeting social need. On the basis of "Beyond the Centre", all 26 councils are developing integrated community support plans for their respective areas based on an assessment and prioritisation of need.
	On the basis of numerous examples of good practice arising from this work, the Community Support Programme now has significant opportunities for growth and development, both as a means for better integrating the current multiplicity of local funding streams and as a more robust model for social investment by Government.

Economic Performance

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on economic performance in Northern Ireland over the last five years.

Ian Pearson: Evidence suggests that despite the recent global slowdown, the Northern Ireland economy has continued to expand over recent years.
	Between March 1999 and September 2003, the number of employee jobs has increased by 46,180 (7.4 per cent.). While the vast majority of new employment is to be found in the service sector, manufacturing output and productivity have continued to rise over the period. Between Ql 1999 and Q3 2003 manufacturing output increased by 18.8 per cent., while manufacturing productivity increased by 40.9 per cent. Exports by Northern Ireland's manufacturing firms increased by 15.9 per cent. between 1998–99 and 2002–03, however, in recent years the level of manufacturing sales and exports has shown a small decrease.

Elective Surgery

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the extent of elective surgery conducted in Northern Ireland on citizens of the Irish Republic in 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The total number of elective admissions to surgical specialties in Northern Ireland by residents of the Republic of Ireland during the 2002–03 financial year was 319, which comprises 136 normal in-patients and 183 day cases.
	Residents of countries within the European Union are entitled to treatment if they are taken ill while visiting another European Union state. Patients may also be transferred to another country under formal contractual arrangements between individual hospitals or health boards if the treatment required is not available locally. Consequently, residents from the Republic of Ireland are sometimes treated in Northern Ireland and vice versa.

Employer's Liability Insurance

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the costs of Employer's Liability Insurance in Northern Ireland.

Ian Pearson: Insurance is a reserved matter. However, in Northern Ireland the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment recently undertook a Business Insurance Survey of some 3,000 firms. The results of the survey are currently being analysed and will be published shortly.

Ethnic Minority Funding

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding was provided to ethnic minorities in each of the last five years, broken down by project.

Ian Pearson: The information required will require some time to collate. I will respond to the hon. Lady when the information is available.

Fisheries

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial assistance the Government will give Northern Ireland's (a) fishermen and (b) processors during the tie-up scheme for cod fishing boats beginning on 14 February.

Ian Pearson: I propose to introduce transitional aid for fishermen most affected by the cod recovery measures and who voluntarily cease all fishing activities during the closure of the Irish Sea to cod fishing from 14 February to 30 April 2004 inclusive. The scheme aims to provide assistance to the owners of eligible vessels who tie-up for the full 11-week closure. There are no plans to compensate processors. The majority of the Northern Ireland fleet may continue to fish and therefore provide continuity of locally sourced raw materials, which local processors normally supplement with raw materials from other parts of Ireland and the United Kingdom throughout the closure.

Government Solicitors

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money was paid to solicitors employed by the Government in the drafting of the Energy (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 in (a) 2000–01, (b) 2001–02, (c) 2002–03 and (d) the current financial year, broken down by firm.

Ian Pearson: Assembly Bills introduced by the Northern Ireland Executive during devolution and Orders in Council made under the Northern Ireland Act 2000 while the Assembly is suspended are drafted by the Office of the Legislative Counsel of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. Simmons and Simmons, appointed in June 2001 as specialist solicitors to assist with the policy development process leading up to the preparation of the Energy (Northern Ireland) Order 2003, were paid the following amounts (including VAT) for this work:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 (a) 2000–01 Nil 
			 (b) 2001–02 178,381 
			 (c) 2002–03 608,541 
			 (d) 2003–04 Nil—the Energy Order was made in February 2003

Heroin Addicts

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many registered heroin addicts there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The latest available figures show the number of registered heroin addicts in Northern Ireland as at 31 December of each year 1998–2002 is as follows:
	
		
			 Year Number of registered addicts 
		
		
			 2002 213 
			 2001 244 
			 2000 233 
			 1999 226 
			 1998 161 
		
	
	This information is published in the 'Northern Ireland Drug Addicts' Statistical Information Bulletin'. The next bulletin is due for publication on 24 February 2004, copies of which will be available on the DHSSPSNI website, Internet address: www.dhsspsni. gov.uk/publications/index.html. Copies of previous bulletins can be obtained from the Drug and Alcohol Information and Research Unit.

Home Helps

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent changes have been made in Home Help Services in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The Department's policy for the provision of the Home Help Service in Northern Ireland is set out in guidance to Health and Social Services Boards issued on 12 November 1980. The guidance introduced a Model Scheme for the Provision of a Home Help Service which has operated successfully from that time and the Department have not made any recent changes to the Model Scheme. HSS Trusts operate Home Help Services within the framework provided by the Model Scheme and in the context of local priorities and available resources.

Hospital Discharges

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients' hospital discharge was delayed while awaiting community care packages in each of the last six years.

Angela Smith: The number of delayed discharges recorded as a snapshot of the position at yearly intervals from October 2000 to October 2003 (the latest date for which such information is available), and for February 1999 and February 2000, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of delayed discharges 
		
		
			 February 1999 249 
			 February 2000 319 
			 October 2000 327 
			 October 2001 456 
			 October 2002 392 
			 October 2003 390 
		
	
	Note:
	Information on numbers of delayed discharges has been collected in respect of the position at the last day of each month from August 2000, and previous to that date by annual census held in February.

Hospital Trolley Waits

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 7 January, Official Report, column 406W, on hospital trolley waits, how many patients included in trolley wait totals for 2002–03 (a) were discharged from hospital and (b) left hospital without obtaining a ward bed.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not available.

Lung Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals died from lung cancer in 2003; and what the mean survival time was following diagnosis.

Angela Smith: In 2002, the latest year for which deaths data are available, a total of 777 individuals died from lung cancer (466 men, 311 women).
	The most recent estimate of the five-year relative survival rate for lung cancer patients, based on persons diagnosed in 1993–96, is 9 per cent.

Maternity Hospital

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress towards the construction of a new regional maternity hospital.

Angela Smith: The new regional maternity hospital will be constructed in line with the timetable for the strategic redevelopment of the Royal Victoria Hospital site, which envisages that building work will begin in 2007 and be completed by 2010.
	The Royal Group of Hospitals Trust is currently preparing a business case for the development of the new maternity hospital. In developing the business case, the trust has engaged with Service Commissioners, neighbouring Trusts, medical and midwifery staff, along with users of the service. The Trust is expected to submit a business case to the Department by June 2004.

Medical Treatments

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many sufferers from rheumatoid arthritis in Northern Ireland are waiting to commence anti-TNF drugs; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: At 15 December 2003, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 389 patients waiting to commence anti-TNF drug treatment in Northern Ireland. I announced on 13 January that I would provide additional resources for anti-TNF drugs for 2004–05 and the detailed funding allocations will be made shortly in consultation with HSS Boards and Trusts.

Medical Treatments

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals are awaiting the commencement of treatment with (a) beta interferon and (b) glatiramer for multiple sclerosis.

Angela Smith: At 20 January 2004 there were 66 people awaiting the commencement of treatment with these medicines. The decision as to which medicine is appropriate is a matter for the patient's doctor, in consultation with the patient, when treatment is to begin.

Ministerial Meetings

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the recent meeting between the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office and the Ulster Political Research Group.

Jane Kennedy: The Government have always said that we will work with those who want to engage in democratic politics. At our recent meeting I recognised the constructive approach of the UPRG but made clear that the many social and economic problems affecting loyalist working class areas cannot be tackled effectively against a background of widespread and continuing paramilitary activity. Attacks on prison officers' homes; hoax bombs at schools and elsewhere in the city; and involvement in drugs and organised crime are totally unacceptable. I also made clear, regarding Maghaberry, that we are working with the Prison Service to develop a safe regime for prisoners and prison officers, but that control of the prison by prison staff would be maintained at all times.

Minority Ethnic Voluntary Organisations

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reasons he has decided to limit provision for meeting the commitments of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister funding for minority ethnic voluntary organisations to a one-year period; and what assessment he has made under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 of the equality impact of his decision.

John Spellar: In its first Programme for Government the Northern Ireland Executive committed itself to
	"bring forward, consult on and implement cross-departmental policies to tackle racial inequality within a strategic framework"
	including
	"targeted support for minority ethnic groups and projects".
	The funding scheme for minority ethnic voluntary organisations was established in April 2001 and work commenced on developing the strategy.
	A draft Race Equality Strategy was issued for public consultation on 25 February 2003 and an independent evaluation of the funding scheme was commissioned in June 2003. The final evaluation was received in December 2003.
	I propose to bring forward the final version of the Race Equality Strategy by the summer. In bringing forward the strategy, I will wish to consider very carefully the independent evaluation of the funding scheme and the views of key stakeholders.
	In the circumstances, I thought it prudent to extend the existing scheme for a period of one year. Any change to the existing funding arrangements in light of the new strategy will, of course, be subject to assessment under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

MRI Scanning

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are awaiting MRI scanning in Northern Ireland, broken down by health trust area.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not available.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines extend to Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) are only applicable to England and Wales. The Department are considering how guidelines issued by NICE can be used in the context of Northern Ireland's health and social services.

Neurosurgery

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients in Northern Ireland are awaiting (a) inpatient admission and (b) initial outpatient assessment, in neurosurgery.

Angela Smith: I refer the hon. Lady to the Written Answer given on 19 January 2004, Official Report, column 997W, Question 148845.

Patient Admissions/Assessments

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients are awaiting (a) in-patient admission and (b) initial out-patient assessment in Northern Ireland; and what the comparative statistics were at 12-month intervals over the last five years.

Angela Smith: The most recent waiting list data available shows the position at 30 September 2003. Data in the tables refer to the position at this date in 2003 and at the same date in the previous five years.
	
		Number of people waiting for in-patient admission to hospital (includes normal in-patients and day cases)
		
			 Quarter ending 30 September Number 
		
		
			 1998 46,428 
			 1999 46,689 
			 2000 50,184 
			 2001 56,713 
			 2002 60,190 
			 2003 54,257 
		
	
	Source:
	CH1 parts A and B.
	
		Number of people waiting for a first out-patient appointment (includes cancellations and deferrals)
		
			 Quarter ending 30 September Number 
		
		
			 1998 86,152 
			 1999 98,712 
			 2000 119,298 
			 2001 133,974 
			 2002 146,818 
			 2003 151,752 
		
	
	Source:
	CH3 parts 1 and 2.

Physiotherapy

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients were awaiting physiotherapy assessment in each six-month interval over the last five years.

Angela Smith: Information on the number of individuals awaiting physiotherapy assessment is not collected centrally. However, information is collected centrally on completed waiting times for a first outpatient appointment of an episode of care with a community physiotherapist. The total number of persons attending their first outpatient appointment, and the number of those who had waited for six months or more for their appointment, is shown in the following table. The information is in respect of six-month intervals from the quarter ending 30 September 1998 to the quarter ending 30 September 2003 (the latest date for which such information is available).
	
		Number of persons who attended their first outpatient appointment with a community physiotherapist, and number and percentage who had waited for six months or more for appointment, quarters ending 30September 1998 to 30September 2003
		
			  Total number of Persons who waited sixmonths or more 
			 Quarter Ending: persons Number Percentage 
		
		
			 30 September 1998 9,863 14 0.1 
			 31 March 1999 10,679 19 0.2 
			 30 September 1999 11,837 51 0.4 
			 31 March 2000 11,704 83 0.7 
			 30 September 2000 11,492 188 1.6 
			 31 March 2001 13,446 142 1.1 
			 30 September 2001 12,754 324 2.5 
			 31 March 2002 14,154 475 3.4 
			 30 September 2002 14,303 441 3.1 
			 31 March 2003 15,644 570 3.6 
			 30 September 2003 12,798 420 3.3

Planning Applications

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of time is for processing planning applications in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The average time taken by the Department of the Environment's Planning Service to issue a final decision in respect of planning applications in Northern Ireland over the last three previous years is as follows:
	
		Average time in Northern Ireland
		
			 Year 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Total average days 139 134 137 
			 Total average weeks 20 19 20

Planning Applications

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average time is for a planning appeal hearing to take place in Northern Ireland after an application for an appeal has been lodged.

Paul Murphy: As the Planning Appeals Commission is a tribunal Non-Departmental Public Body, I have asked the Chief Commissioner to write to the hon. Gentleman directly in connection with the information requested.

Planning Applications

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average time taken by his Department was to respond to letters of objection from people regarding planning applications in 2003.

Angela Smith: It is Planning Service's policy to acknowledge all letters of objection within three working days, and where specific questions are raised, it is the policy to issue a reply within 15 working days.
	However, it is often difficult to deal with specific questions at an early stage of the processing of an application, as detailed consideration will not have taken place by the divisional planning office and consultee replies will not have been received. More substantive replies can issue at a later stage. In addition, all those who object to planning applications are informed in writing of the final decision and the reasons for that decision.

Police Officers

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of police officers in Northern Ireland, broken down by rank, are (a) female and (b) from an ethnic minority.

Jane Kennedy: The figures requested as at 1 January 2004 are shown in the following table.
	
		Percentage
		
			 Rank Female Ethnic Minority 
		
		
			 ACPO 12.50  
			 Chief Superintendent 10.34  
			 Superintendent 2.74  
			 Chief Inspector 10.61 
			 Inspector 7.99  
			 Sergeant 11.27 0.09 
			 Constable 17.70 0.28 
			 Student officer 36.74 1.40 
			 FTR 8.71  
			 PTR 36.13

Police Ombudsman

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints have been referred to the office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland for investigation since its formation; and how many of these complaints have resulted in (a) successful prosecution and (b) resolution between the parties.

Jane Kennedy: The Police Ombudsman advises that since her office opened on 6 November 2000, and up until 31 December 2003, a of total of 10,535 complaints have been made to her office. Of these complaints 4,598 have been referred for investigation, and prosecutions by the Director of Public Prosecutions have resulted in two police officers being convicted. In the same period the informal resolution procedure has resulted in 878 complaints being resolved between the parties involved.

Police Service

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the Full Time Reserve of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Jane Kennedy: The Government accepted, subject to the security situation, the recommendation in the Patten report that
	"the future police service should not include a Full Time Reserve".
	In October 2002 the Chief Constable put to the Policing Board a human resource strategy to meet the staffing needs of the Police Service over the next eight to 10 years which the Policing Board endorsed. This included a phased run-down of the Full Time Reserve over an 18 month period from April 2005, subject to no further deterioration of the security situation and the continued success of the recruitment campaign for the Police Service.
	Later this year the Chief Constable will put forward advice to the Board and the Secretary of State on these matters. The Government recognise the major contribution that members of the Reserve have made to the maintenance of law and order in Northern Ireland and the high price that they and many of their families have had to pay in doing so.
	Negotiations between Government officials and the Police Federation about severance arrangements for the Full Time Reserve have begun.

Prisons

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what amount was spent on leisure facilities in prisons in each of the last six years.

Jane Kennedy: The Northern Ireland Prison Service does not spend money on leisure facilities, however, the service does incur costs on recreation and physical education. Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the amount spent on gym assets including snooker and pool tables for the last six years is:
	
		
			  Amount (£) 
		
		
			 1998–99 13,900 
			 1999–2000 27,275 
			 2000–01 36,234 
			 2001–02 13,847 
			 2002–03 37,970 
			 2003–04 24,814

Prisons

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prisoners in Northern Ireland are the subject of suicide watch observations; and what the corresponding figure was for the first day of each of the last 12 months.

Jane Kennedy: Where there is concern that a prisoner may be at risk of self-harm a form IMR 21 is completed to inform staff. This might lead to a period of assessment in the healthcare unit for those deemed to be at a more serious risk. This period of assessment might also include a period of close observation. In the period January-December 2003, the number of IMR 21 forms raised was as follows:
	
		
			 Month IMR 21 referrals 
		
		
			 January 2003 11 
			 February 2003 11 
			 March 2003 16 
			 April 2003 16 
			 May 2003 11 
			 June 2003 23 
			 July 2003 15 
			 August 2003 19 
			 September 2003 22 
			 October 2003 24 
			 November 2003 39 
			 December 2003 33 
		
	
	There has been an increase in the number of IMR 21 forms raised during the past year due to the increase in prisoner population and increasing tensions because of separation issues in Maghaberry.

Public Bodies

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who the members of the (a) Probation Board for Northern Ireland, (b) Police Authority for Northern Ireland and (c) Board of Visitors of Magilligan Prison were on 1 January; what their term of office is in each case; and what their remuneration is.

Jane Kennedy: The information is as follows:
	
		(a) Probation Board for Northern Ireland—Membership: chairman, deputy chairman and 16 members
		
			 Name Date of first appointment Expiry of appointment Gender 
		
		
			 Chairman
			 B. Rowntree 1 December 1998 30 November 2004 M 
			 
			 Deputy chairman   
			 Mrs. F. Reid(10) 1 December 2003 30 November 2006 F 
			 
			 Members
			 Ms J. Daykin 1 December 2003 30 November 2006 F 
			 Mr. C. Flanagan 1 December 2003 30 November 2006 M 
			 Ms M. Gilheany 1 December 2000 30 November 2006 F 
			 Mrs. B .Grant 1 December 2000 30 November 2006 F 
			 Mr. R. Hanna 1 December 2000 30 November 2006 M 
			 Mrs. J. Hillen 1 December 2000 30 November 2006 F 
			 P. Killen 1 December 2000 30 November 2006 M 
			 Mr. A. MacLaughlin 1 December 2003 30 November 2006 M 
			 Mr. P. McAteer 1 December 2003 30 November 2006 M 
			 Miss M. McCann 1 December 2000 30 November 2006 F 
			 Dr. R. McKee 1 December 2003 30 November 2006 M 
			 Mrs. G. Rice 1 December 2000 30 November 2006 F 
			 Mrs .G. Shaw 1 December 2003 30 November 2006 F 
			 B. Stuart 1 December 2000 30 November 2006 M 
			 Mr. W. Tweed 1 December 2003 30 November 2006 M 
			 Ms K. Yiasouma 1 December 2003 30 November 2006 F 
		
	
	(10) Previously member from 1 December 2000.
	Notes:
	1. Length of each term of appointment: three years
	2. Remuneration: Chairman—£25,860 per annum; deputy chairman and members attendance allowance plus travel and subsistence expenses.
	(b) Northern Ireland Policing Board
	In accordance with the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000, the Police Authority for Northern Ireland was dissolved and replaced by the Northern Ireland Policing Board on 4 November 2001. The setting up of the Northern Ireland Policing Board was one of the recommendations contained in the Patten Report.
	The board was made up of 19 members—10 political and nine independent. The 10 political members were nominated from among the members of the then Northern Ireland Assembly, in accordance with the d'Hondt process. The nine independent members were appointed by the Secretary of State.
	In October 2002, following the suspension of the devolved institutions, the then Secretary of State appointed the current 19 members of the Policing Board for a three year period.
	As of 1 January 2004 the members are as follows:
	Chairman:
	Professor Desmond Rea
	Vice chairman:
	Denis Bradley
	Other members:
	Alex Attwood
	Viscount Brookeborough
	Joe Byrne
	Fred Cobain
	Brian Dougherty
	Sam Foster
	Barry Gilligan
	William Hay
	Tom Kelly
	Lord Kilclooney
	Pauline McCabe
	Alan McFarland
	Eddie McGrady
	Rosaleen Moore
	Ian Paisley Junior
	Suneil Sharma
	Sammy Wilson
	Their remuneration is:
	Chairman: £45,000
	Vice chairman: £35,000
	Independent members £12,000
	(c) Board of Visitors members for Magilligan Prison
	Chairman:
	R. Armitage
	Vice chairman:
	Mrs. I. Johnston
	Members:
	J. Campbell
	Mrs. R. Craig
	Mrs. J. Doherty
	Cllr. R. D. McDonnell
	S. McGregor
	M. McIvor
	C. McLaughlin
	J. Mitchell
	W. A. Mitchell
	Mrs. M. D. Nicholl
	E. Turner
	Mrs. V. A. Von Hoff
	Plus one other
	Board of Visitors members are generally appointed for three years, but may be appointed for a shorter period. They may be re-appointed for further periods of three years or less, but not more than 12 years in total.
	Members of Boards of Visitors receive no remuneration.

Racist Incidents

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many racist incidents were recorded by the police in Northern Ireland in (a) January and (b) each month in (i) 2003 and (ii) 2002, broken down by constituency;
	(2)  how the police categorise different types of racist incident; and how many of each type of incident there has been so far this year.

Jane Kennedy: The information requested by my hon. Friend has been placed in the Library.

Rating

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with European Union authorities on the issue of industrial de-rating and state aid.

Ian Pearson: None. Industrial de-rating in Northern Ireland predated UK accession to the European Union in 1973. Member states were not required to notify pre accession financial support arrangements.

Rating

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the likely impact of industrial de-rating on (a) small and medium-sized and (b) large businesses in Northern Ireland.

Ian Pearson: Our assessment on the likely impact on (a) small and medium-sized and (b) large businesses came from a variety of different sources, including studies by DTZ Pieda, Invest NI and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI ), as well as submissions made during the public consultation exercise in 2002 by the DETI and DFP Assembly Committees and local economists. The policy paper published in April last year included the Regulatory Impact Assessment, New TSN and Equality Impact Assessment and all this evidence was summarised, analysed and considered objectively and the various options were discussed openly with representatives of the business community before a final decision was taken.

Rating

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the likely impact of his decision to rate vacant premises on (a) small and medium-sized and (b) large businesses in Northern Ireland.

Ian Pearson: Our assessment on the likely impact on all vacant commercial property, and in particular, small commercial property came from a variety of different sources, including the Regulatory Impact Assessment, New TSN, Equality Impact Assessment, as well as submissions made during the public consultation exercise in 2002 by the DETI and DFP Assembly Committees and submissions from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). All this evidence was summarised, analysed and considered objectively and the various options were discussed openly with representatives of the business community before a final decision was taken. The impact of this measure will be felt by property owners rather than small businesses that tend to rent property and therefore are unlikely to face a vacant rate cost.

Industrial De-rating

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what mechanisms he has established to monitor the impact of the phasing out of industrial de-rating in Northern Ireland.

Ian Pearson: The policy document in relation to the "Rating of Vacant Property and the Removal of Industrial De-rating", published in April 2003, included Equality Impact and Regulatory Impact Assessments. Both these types of assessment require that the policy be monitored and evaluated after a suitable period of time has elapsed to allow the policy to 'bed down', and three years from its introduction is considered appropriate for evaluation. Monitoring and evaluation, following HM Treasury "Green Book" guidance, would seek to measure outcomes during and after implementation in terms of revenue generated and the main impacts against what would have happened in the absence of the policy.

Social Rented Housing

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new houses have been built in the social rented sector in North Belfast in each year since 1997; and what the cost was in each year.

John Spellar: Details of houses started and associated total scheme costs are as follows.
	
		
			  Houses Cost (£ million) 
		
		
			 1997–98 218 9.3 
			 1998–99 210 11.9 
			 1999–2000 325 23.8 
			 2000–01 105 8.1 
			 2001–02 200 16.0 
			 2002–03 254 19.2

Social Rented Housing

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on maintenance and repair of social rented housing in North Belfast in each year since 1997.

John Spellar: Expenditure by NIHE and Housing Associations on the maintenance and repair of social rented housing in North Belfast, based on Housing Executive Districts 4 and 6, is as follows:
	
		£000
		
			 Year Maintenance and repair  
		
		
			 1997–98 12,710 
			 1998–99 16,128 
			 1999–2000 14,185 
			 2000–01 13,575 
			 2001–02 13,829 
			 2002–03 13,886

Specialist Drugs

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what additional funding was provided in 2003 for new specialist prescribed drugs for (a) rheumatoid arthritis and (b) multiple sclerosis.

Angela Smith: The additional £3 million allocated to Health and Social Services Boards in the 2002–03 financial year towards the costs of new specialist drug treatments including those for rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis has been made recurrent in the current financial year 2003–04 and increased to £3.1 million to cover inflation.
	A further £100,000 made available in September 2002 specifically for infrastructure support for beta interferon treatment for multiple sclerosis has also been made recurrent thus relieving pressures elsewhere in these drugs budgets.

Speech Therapy

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals are awaiting speech therapy assessment; and how many of those have waited more than six months.

Angela Smith: Information on the number of individuals awaiting speech therapy assessment is not collected centrally. However, information is collected centrally on completed waiting times for a first outpatient appointment of an episode of care with a community speech and language therapist. In the quarter ending 30 September 2003 (the latest date for which such information is available), 2,453 persons attended their first outpatient appointment. Of these, 218 (8.9 per cent.) had waited for six months or more.

Sports

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding has been provided to promote cricket in the Province in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The Sports Council for Northern Ireland (SCNI) is responsible for the development of sport in NI including the distribution of public funding to individual sports. Funding from SCNI for the five-year period 1998–2003 for the sport of cricket is:
	
		
			 Cricket £ 
		
		
			 Exchequer funding  
			 1998–99 20,000 
			 1999–2000 20,000 
			 2000–01 20,000 
			 2001–02 20,000 
			 2002–03 26,330 
			 Total 106,330 
			   
			 Lottery funding  
			 1998–99 215,298 
			 1999–2000 212,837 
			 2000–01 282,500 
			 2001–02 57,202 
			 2002–03 16,000 
			 Total 783,837

Sports

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding has been provided to assist the promotion of (a) hockey, (b) rugby, (c) soccer, (d) gaelic football, (e) hurling and (f) other Gaelic Athletic Association sports in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The Sports Council for Northern Ireland (SCNI) is responsible for the development of Sport in NI including the distribution of public funding to individual sports.
	The following tables provides details of funding from SCNI for the five year period 1998–2003 for the four sports of Soccer, Gaelic Games (including Gaelic Football, Hurling and other Gaelic Athletic Association games), Rugby and Hockey.
	
		Exchequer Funding -- £
		
			  1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 Total 
		
		
			 Soccer 50,000 50,000 50,000 59,000 52,500 261,500 
			  — — — (11)100,000 (11)500,000 600,000 
			 Gaelic Games 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 45,000 165,000 
			 Rugby 16,000 16,000 16,000 16,000 24,000 88,000 
			 Hockey 65,167 66,443 27,464 61,225 54,902 275,201 
			 Totals 161,167 162,443 123,464 266,225 676,402 1,389,701 
		
	
	(11) These figures indicate the funds allocated to Soccer from the Football Development Centre Programme for 2001–02 and 2002–03
	
		Lottery Funding -- £
		
			  1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 Total  
		
		
			 Soccer 677,073 816,616 942,492 642,710 609,131 3,688,022 
			 Gaelic Games 2,703,811 1,303,185 1,694,182 1,025,420 689,962 7,416,560 
			 Rugby 155,526 100,784 312,053 144,000 76,860 789,223 
			 Hockey 322,588 14,000 47,625 199,850 68,800 652,863 
			 Totals 3,858,998 2,234585 2,996,352 2,011,980 1,444,753 12,546,668 
		
	
	Safe Sports Grounds
	The money provided by the Safe Sports Ground Programme was made available from financial year 2000–01 for the three sports of Soccer, Gaelic Games and Rugby. The following table shows the funding that was allocated for these sports for the 3-year period 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2003.
	
		£
		
			  1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 Total 
		
		
			 Soccer   1,206,809 784,003 415,188 2,406,000 
			 Gaelic Games   622,085 350,833 507,082 1,480,000 
			 Rugby   136,843 140,612 68,536 345,991 
			 Total   1,965,737 1,275,448 990,806 4,231,991

Tourism (Ards Peninsula/North Down)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to attract more tourists in 2004 to (a) the Ards Peninsula and (b) the North Down area.

Ian Pearson: The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) is working with local councils in the Ards and North Down areas and the Kingdoms of Down regional tourism organisation on a range of tourism promotion initiatives. These include marketing and promotion initiatives and familiarisation trips by international tourism interests/key market representatives. A programme of tourism events is planned for 2004, drawing and improving on their successful last year.
	The NITB's Strategic Framework for Action 2004–07, which will drive the tourism agenda for the next three years, will provide a focus and impetus to the growth and delivery of tourism to all areas of Northern Ireland, including the Ards Peninsula and North Down areas.

Waiting Lists/Times

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the current average waiting times are for MRI scanning in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not available.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Council Tax Benefit

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to introduce within the public service agreements set by central Government a commitment to raise Council Tax Benefit take-up rates for pensioners from the current level of 65 per cent. to 90 per cent. within three years; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: We have no plans at present to introduce a target for take-up of Council Tax Benefit by pensioners.
	Take-up of Council Tax Benefit has historically been lower than for other income-related benefits, take-up by pensioners being lower than for non-pensioners. However, we are keen to ensure that all pensioners entitled to help with their council tax bills are claiming Council Tax Benefit. We have therefore launched a take-up campaign to help support local authorities in encouraging those who may be entitled to claim.
	The introduction of Pension Credit also means around 300,000 pensioner households will be newly entitled to Council Tax Benefit. To help facilitate take up, applicants for Pension Credit who also want to claim Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit are sent a claim form to return to their local authority. We have recently also introduced a shortened version of this claim form for pensioners to make the process of claiming even easier.

Pension Service

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) error rate and (b) arrears of work levels were for the last year in which pensions work was done in local offices in the South East region; and what the latest figures are for this work in the new pension centres.

Malcolm Wicks: The Benefits Agency handled payments to pensioners as well as to people of working age through a network of over 400 social security offices. The Pension Service was launched in April 2002 to provide a more unified and responsive service via a network of 26 pension centres. Directly comparable data is not available in the format requested. However, I can confirm that within the South East Region the level of accuracy reported on Retirement Pension work has remained above the 98 per cent. target throughout the transition, and the levels of outstanding Retirement Pension work have reduced by more than 50 per cent..

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer, net of savings in means-tested benefits and additional tax revenues, of paying a full basic state pension to each individual, regardless of contribution record, at the rate of the guarantee credit, from the age of (a) 65, (b) 70 and (c) 75 years; and if he will estimate in each case the cost in each of the following four years on the assumption that the pension was then indexed to earnings.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is set out in the following table.
	
		£ billion
		
			  2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 
		
		
			 Over 65 9.9 10.2 10.7 11.3 12.1 
			 Over 70 6.9 7.1 7.5 8.1 8.6 
			 Over 75 4.4 4.6 4.9 5.3 5.6 
		
	
	Notes
	1. Figures are in 2003–04 price terms rounded to the nearest £100 million. It is assumed the change comes into effect from April 2004 and only affects basic State Pensions.
	2. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department and are consistent with Budget 2003 assumptions. Estimates are all based on the 2002 population projection and allow for recent revisions.
	3. The costs take into account income related benefit offsets, which are calculated using the DWP policy simulation model and April 2004 benefit rates.
	4. Additional income tax revenue is estimated by the Inland Revenue using 2004 tax rates.

Sunset Clauses

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on his policy on the use of sunset clauses in legislation; and which Acts containing such clauses relevant to his Department were passed in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department for Work and Pensions actively promotes the better regulation agenda and the use of sunsetting where appropriate.
	The Regulatory Impact Assessment guidance 'Better Policy Making: A Guide to Regulatory Impact Assessment' advises policy officials to consider time limiting or sunsetting at an early stage of policy development, and gives specific circumstances where sunsetting maybe appropriate.
	No Acts for which DWP is responsible containing a sunset clause have been passed since the Department was formed in June 2001.
	For most of the Department's business, sunsetting would not be appropriate. For example where primary legislation establishing a benefit or other scheme is drafted on the basis that it will last indefinitely and the details will be set out in secondary legislation, it would normally be inconsistent to time limit this.

HEALTH

"Agenda for Change"

Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the projected cost increase in each of the next five years if all members of staff eligible for the Agenda for Change programme receive an annual increase in pay of one pay point in a pay band and successfully pass through the (a) foundation and (b) secondary gateways.

John Hutton: The projected basic pay increases under Agenda for Change—2.5 per cent. on average by 2005–06 and 5.9 per cent. in the longer term (compared with 2002–03) in addition to annual pay uplift—assume that all staff will progress annually through pay points and pay gateways up to the maximum of their pay band. These projections also assume that the distribution of staff between the different pay points in a given pay band, taking account of joiners, leavers and annual pay progression, will remain similar to the distribution seen in current National Health Service pay bands. In other words, the additional costs do not arise from pay progression as such (which is a feature of most current NHS pay systems), but from the changes in the basic pay ranges to which NHS staff will be entitled.

Cataracts

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reasons that Netcare delivers cataract services on behalf of the NHS at a price less than NHS costs.

John Hutton: All selected preferred bidders for the contracts for new independent sector treatment centres have gone through a rigorous procurement process to ensure that they are fit to deliver high quality clinical services for national health service commissioners. This has been independent of their price or the commercial aspects of the contract.
	Netcare has been awarded the contract to provide an innovative mobile theatre solution that will perform over 40,000 additional operations at different sites over the next five years. The contract has been negotiated at a price less than the comparable NHS cost: this will benefit patients who will benefit from speedier treatment and is a good deal for the NHS.

Consultants

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assumptions his Department has made about the level of take-up of the consultant contract.

John Hutton: We estimate around 70 to 80 per cent., of consultants are likely to take up the contract this year.

Consultants

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria his Department used to decide on the (a) location and (b) number of training places for consultants in grown-up congenital heart abnormality.

John Hutton: The Department makes decisions about the allocation of consultant training places or national training numbers (NTNs) each year. This includes decisions about NTNs in cardiology, which includes adult congenital heart disease.
	The decisions are based on intelligence collated from local and national bodies on workforce needs and are a balance of the needs of all medical specialties. The number of NTNs allocated to cardiology is made in consultation with the National Clinical Director for heart disease.
	New training places in cardiology are distributed to sites that have available training capacity and where possible are distributed nationally to areas which are most under-resourced.

Contracting Out

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of procedures contracted out by the NHS to the public sector in the last 12 months.

John Hutton: The Department does not hold centrally information on the cost of procedures contracted out by the national health service to the private sector in the last 12 months. The exception is the independent sector treatment centre programme. One centre is already open at Daventry, and we estimate that, to date, contracted out procedures at Daventry will amount to approximately £1,096,800.

Dentistry

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost of dental treatment in (a) Brent, (b) London and (c) England was in each year since 1997.

John Hutton: The average costs of a course of dental treatment in the general dental service for adults and children in England, London and Brent and Harrow Health Authority (HA) for each financial year are shown in Table 1 for the period 1997–98 to the first half of 2002–03 and for Brent Primary Care Trust (PCT) for the second half of 2002–03 in Table 2.
	These costs are for payment made to the dentist for dental treatment. These include the patient charges where applicable. They exclude patient registration payments to the dentists. Some patients may have more than one course of treatment in a year.
	The averages for children excludes courses of treatment involving an examination only, which are not paid for separately but covered by the patient registration payment to dentists.
	
		Table 1: General Dental Service—Average cost of dental treatment for 1997–98 to 2002–03 first half -- £
		
			  England London Brent and HarrowHealth Authority 
			  Children Adult Children Adult Children Adult 
		
		
			 1997–98 26.1 32.5 36.2 47.2 36.6 45.7 
			 1998–99 28.5 33.5 39.1 48.8 32.8 47.7 
			 1999–2000 29.9 34.8 42.3 51.7 34.0 50.6 
			 2000–01 32.0 35.5 45.7 52.9 37.2 52.6 
			 2001–02 34.5 36.3 48.3 54.7 40.9 54.3 
			 2002–03(12) 35.7 37.4 49.0 57.2 42.2 56.2 
		
	
	(12) Covers period from 30 April 2002 to 30 September 2002.
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board.
	
		Table 2: General Dental Service—Average cost of dental treatment for 2002–03 second half -- £
		
			  2002–03(13) 
			  Children Adult 
		
		
			 England 37.5 37.2 
			 London 50.8 56.1 
			 Brent PCT 39.1 55.4 
		
	
	(13) Covers period from 31 October 2002 to 31 March 2003.
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board.

Dentistry

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists' surgeries in Brent East constituency are accepting new NHS patients.

John Hutton: Figures collected by the Department are by primary care trust (PCT) and not by constituency.
	Brent PCT has:
	51 dental surgeries accepting children (latest data available—January 2004);
	13 dental surgeries accepting national health service charge-paying patients i.e. those not exempt from payment (latest data available—January 2004); and
	44 dental surgeries accepting NHS charge-exempt patients (latest data available—October 2003).
	The nhs.uk website at: www.nhs.uk/root/administration/reports/dentalreport.asp gives information on dental practices and whether or not new patients are being accepted.
	Note:
	1. Some surgeries may accept more than one type of patient. So the overall total of 64 surgeries includes some surgeries which are not accepting new NHS patients.
	2. There may be some dental surgeries which are not included in the nhs.uk figures. nhs.uk figures have been used here because that source gives information on dentists' acceptance practices.

Dentistry

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) NHS and (b) private dental practices there are in (i) the Castle Point and Rochford Primary Care Trust and (ii) the Essex Strategic Health Authority.

Stephen Ladyman: At August 2003 there were 21 general dental service practices in Castle Point and Rochford Primary Care Trust and 248 practices in Essex Strategic Health Authority.
	Information on the number of private dental practices is not collected centrally. Generally, few dental practices are wholly private.

NHS Students (Child Care)

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to introduce the scheme to help with child care costs for national health service-funded students with children aged up to five years.

John Hutton: It is intended to introduce a scheme to assist national health service-funded students with childcare costs in September 2004. Officials are currently developing proposals for the scheme.

Drug Prices

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate of drug price inflation his Department is using in budgets for financial year 2004–05.

John Hutton: In calculating budgets for 2004–05, we are providing for a growth of about ten per cent. in the estimated outturn expenditure on drugs for 2003–04. The percentage growth is based on a combined figure of volume and price inflation, and we are thus unable to break it down to obtain separate figures.

General Practitioners

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many general practitioner vacancies there were in (a) Brent Primary Care Trust, (b) London and (c) England in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many general practitioner vacancies there were on average in each London primary care trust in each year since 1997.

John Hutton: The Department's annual general practitioner (GP) recruitment and retention and vacancy (RRV) survey started in 2000.
	The number of GP vacancies in England and in each London strategic health authority since 2000 is shown in Table 1. The number of GP vacancies in each London primary care trust (PCT) including Brent PCT, for 2003, is shown in Table 2. This is the first year vacancy data has been collected at PCT level.
	The RRV survey is a count of all GP vacancies that have occurred during each year. It will include existing posts that doctors have left and also new posts created to increase the workforce, even where they were filled very quickly. Thus, the increase in vacancies in part, is a result of there being more posts overall, reflecting the Government's plan to increase the GP workforce.
	
		Table 1: England GP vacancy numbers by London SHA,2000 to 2003
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 England total (14)1,143 (15)2,345 (16)2,487 (17)3,245 
			 of which: 
			 North Central London SHA 22 78 80 53 
			 North East London SHA 18 55 17 104 
			 South East London SHA 38 101 81 179 
			 South West London SHA 16 (15)42 (16)29 (17)45 
			 North West London SHA 49 60 93 78 
		
	
	(14) In 2000 four HAs did not respond to the survey. These made up parts of: Thames Valley SHA, County Durham & Tees Valley SHA, North & East Yorkshire & N Lincolnshire SHA and Trent SHA.
	(15) In 2001 two HAs did not respond to the survey. These made up parts of: Surrey & Sussex SHA and South West London SHA.
	(16) In 2002 four HAs did not respond to the survey. These made up parts of: Surrey & Sussex SHA, South West London SHA, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire & Rutland SHA and Hampshire & Isle of Wight SHA.
	(17) In 2003 one PCT in South West London SHA did not respond to the survey.Note:
	Years prior to 2003 have been mapped to current SHA areas 2003 numbers were collected directly from PCTs. Previous years vacancy numbers were collect from Health Authorities.
	Source:
	Department of Health GP Recruitment, Retention and Vacancy surveys, 2000–03.
	
		Table 2: GP vacancy numbers by London PCT, 2003
		
			 ISHA Total 
		
		
			 England Total 3,245 
			 of which:  
			 London All 459 
			 of which:  
			   
			 North Central London All 53 
			 of which:  
			 Barnet PCT 27 
			 Camden PCT 8 
			 Enfield PCT 4 
			 Haringey PCT 9 
			 Islington PCT 5 
			   
			 North East London All 104 
			 of which:  
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT 7 
			 Chingford, Wanstead and Woodford PCT 12 
			 City and Hackney PCT 22 
			 Havering PCT 10 
			 Newham PCT 15 
			 Redbridge PCT 13 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT 13 
			 Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone PCT 12 
			   
			 North West London All 78 
			 of which:  
			 Brent PCT 16 
			 Ealing PCT 1 
			 Hammersmith & Fulham PCT 5 
			 Harrow PCT 28 
			 Hillingdon PCT 9 
			 Hounslow PCT 3 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT 9 
			 Westminster PCT 7 
			   
			 South East London All 179 
			 of which:  
			 Bexley PCT 24 
			 Bromley PCT 37 
			 Greenwich PCT 32 
			 Lambeth PCT 32 
			 Lewisham PCT 21 
			 Southwark PCT 33 
			   
			 South West London All (18)45 
			 of which:  
			 Croydon PCT 24 
			 Kingston PCT 3 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT 4 
			 Wandsworth PCT 14 
		
	
	(18) One PCT (Sutton & Merton PCT, South West London SHA) did not respond to the survey.
	Notes:
	No figures for PCTs are available before 2003 as previous years vacancy numbers were collected from Health Authorities.
	Source
	Department of Health GP Recruitment, Retention and Vacancy survey 2003.

General Practitioners

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average amount of funding provided to a general practitioner surgery is in (a) England and (b) the London Borough of Havering.

John Hutton: The Department does not collect information at a London borough level, but rather at primary care trust (PCT) level. The answer therefore compares the national position with Havering PCT. The average funding per general practitioner practice in England in 2002–03 was £464,000. The average funding per GP practice in Havering PCT was £347,000. However, the number of practitioners per practice in Havering PCT as at March 2003 was lower (at 2.58) than the national average (at 3.76). Consequently, when practitioner numbers are used, the average cost per practitioner in England was £124,000, while the equivalent figure in Havering PCT was £134,000.

General Practitioners

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to recruit general practitioners; what the current national ratio of patients to general practitioners is; what the ratio is in the Portsmouth area; and how many general practitioner vacancies there are in (a) Portsmouth and (b) South East Hampshire.

John Hutton: The Government are committed to recruiting and retaining more general practitioners (GPs). A range of measures have been implemented including financial incentives, extended options for flexible working and improved family friendly policies.
	The ratio of patients to unrestricted principals and equivalent (UPE) general practitioners (GPs) in England and in Portsmouth Primary Care Trust is shown in table 1.
	The number of GP vacancies recorded in the GP recruitment and retention vacancy survey between 1 April 2O02 and 31 March 2003 in Portsmouth PCT and East Hampshire PCT and Fareham and Gosport PCT is shown in table 2.
	This is a count of all GP vacancies that have occurred during each year. It will include existing posts that doctors have left and also new posts created to increase the work force, even where they were filled very quickly. Thus, the number of vacancies in part is a result of there being more posts overall, reflecting the Governments plan to increase the GP work force.
	The Department of Health collects figures by PCT only, not by constituency.
	
		Table 1: Patients of unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs)(19) for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Strategic Health Authority—England, as at 30September 2002 -- Number (headcount)
		
			  England Portsmouth City PCT 
		
		
			  
			  
			 All practitioners(20) 32,292 105 
			 of which:   
			 UPEs 28,031 101 
			 Patients of UPEs 51,522,391 181,805 
			 Ratio UPEs to patients 1:1,838 1:1,800 
		
	
	(19) UPEs include GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs and PMS salaried GPs.
	(20) All practitioners include GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, GP registrars, salaried doctors (para. 52 SPA), PMS other and GP retainers.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
	
		Table 2: Reported GP vacancies in England and Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA and PCTs, 2003
		
			  Headcount (number) 
		
		
			 England total (21)3,245 
			   
			 East Hampshire PCT 18 
			 Fareham and Gosport PCT 10 
			 Portsmouth City PCT 10 
		
	
	(21) One PCT (Sutton and Merton PCT, South West London SHA) did not respond to the survey.
	Note:
	No figures for PCTs are available before 2003 as previous years vacancy numbers were collected from health authorities.
	Source:
	Department of Health GP Recruitment, Retention and Vacancy survey 2003.

Health Care Professionals

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the net inflow of health care professionals to the United Kingdom was in each of the last ten years, broken down by (a) country and (b) profession.

John Hutton: holding answer 29 January 2004
	The information requested is not collected centrally.
	The Nursing and Midwifery Council holds information on the number of initial admissions to the register by country. This information is available on the NMC's website at www.nmc-uk.org.
	The Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census provides a breakdown of all doctors in the national health service broken down by United Kingdom, European Economic Area (EEA) and non-EEA countries, and the full data has been placed in the Library.

Health Care Workers (Communicable Diseases)

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether health care workers from overseas who are employed at NHS treatment centres are subject to compulsory tests for communicable diseases; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: Health care workers from overseas who are employed at national health service treatment centres will be subject to the same occupational health checks for communicable diseases as other NHS health care staff, in accordance with their duty of care to protect the health and safety of their patients. Under existing guidance, these will include checks for tuberculosis disease and for immunity to hepatitis B and chickenpox, with immunisation if appropriate.

Health Statistics

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) delayed transfers of care and (b) emergency readmissions within 28 days of discharge there were in each quarter of 2003–04, for (i) each NHS region, (ii) each strategic health authority, (iii) each NHS trust and (iv) England, broken down by (A) age and (B) in the case of the reason for delay.

Stephen Ladyman: The latest figures for 2003–04, Quarter 3 (December 2003) will be available by the middle of February, and will be placed in the Library. All the information for Quarter 1 and Quarter 2, 2003–04 is available in the Library.

Health Workers (Commonwealth)

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the United Kingdom will sign up to the code of practice for the international recruitment of health workers approved by the Commonwealth Health Ministers in May 2003.

John Hutton: holding answer 26 January 2004
	The United Kingdom strongly supports the principles underlying the Commonwealth code of practice on the international recruitment of health workers. We do not intend, however, to sign up to the version put forward in May 2003. That version differed from earlier versions, which had been acceptable to us, and did not reflect amendments we had suggested.
	The Department has its own guidance and a code of practice embodying ethical principles for the international recruitment of healthcare workers, which are clear, explicit, and under regular review. While we support efforts to persuade more countries and bodies to adopt ethical principles for any active international recruitment they undertake, we do not regard the Commonwealth code of practice as it stands as an appropriate vehicle.
	Only 22 of the (then) 54 Commonwealth countries signed up to the Commonwealth code.

Local Health Economies

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the implications of the targets set by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's community plan for local health economies.

John Hutton: The Department has recognised the need to consider the implications of Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Growth Area initiative for local health economies.
	Work to assess the impact on health care need is ongoing and we are considering the appropriateness of providing extra funding for those areas affected.

Macular Degeneration

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average wait was between diagnosis of macular degeneration and first follow-up appointment with a health professional in the last period for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 19 January 2004
	Information on the average wait between diagnosis of macular degeneration and first follow-up appointment is not held centrally.
	Information is available on the number of hospital admissions (first period of in-patient care) and average-waiting times for those diagnosed with degeneration of the macular pole. In all, there were 3,417 admissions in England in 2002–03 for degeneration of the macular pole. The average waiting time for these admissions was 67 days.
	Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. In-patients are defined as patients who are admitted to hospital and occupy a bed, including both admissions where an overnight stay is planned and day cases.

Macular Degeneration

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what support those suffering from age-related macular degeneration currently receive after diagnosis.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 19 January 2004
	In addition to any medical treatment that may be appropriate, people with vision problems affecting their quality of life can be referred for a low vision assessment. Low vision services are usually provided in a hospital setting, but in many parts of the country are being provided in locations closer to where people live, for example, in local opticians' practices and at centres for visually impaired people. It is important that the prescribing of any optical aids, and training in their use, must be done in the context of an individual's vision and the optical status of the eyes. Low vision aids, such as strong reading glasses, magnifiers or telescopes are available free on loan to any person requiring them.
	Social services departments also have responsibility for assessing the needs of those who request help due to problems with their vision. Help could include aids to daily living, such as improved home lighting and hi-marks for cookers, or the provision of mobility training to enable a person to retain their independence with respect to travel.

Marshfield Road Surgery

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis the decision has been taken to close the Marshfield Road Surgery of Dr. Barne Williams, in Chippenham; and what procedure was used to make the decision.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 27 January 2004
	On 30 September 2002, the primary care trust (PCT) gave six months notice to terminate Dr. William's personal medical services contract (PMS) on grounds of breach of contract, following Dr. William's continued refusal to provide out-of-hours services to his registered patients.
	Dr. Williams invoked the national health service disputes resolution procedure, pursuant to Section 4 of the NHS and Community Care Act 1990. Subsequently, an independent adjudicator was appointed pursuant to the NHS (Disputes Resolution) regulations 1996. On 17 December 2003, the independent adjudicator upheld the PCT decision that the PMS contract should terminate on 30 January 2004.
	I am informed that Dr. Williams has now applied to rejoin the general medical services list and this is currently being considered by the Family Health Services Appeals Authority.

Medical Students

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the future impact on the NHS of the increase in the proportion of medical students who are female (a) in general practice and (b) in hospital medicine.

John Hutton: The increasing proportion of women entering the medical profession and the impact of this on participation in the workforce is factored into the Department's workforce planning.

MMR Vaccine

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the refusal of parents to allow their children to receive the MMR vaccine affects (a) payment to the child's family doctor and (b) the star rating of the general practitioner surgery which the child attends.

John Hutton: The MMR vaccine is provided to children as part of the childhood immunisation programme. General practitioners receive payment through a target system, which incentivises high levels of coverage in order to provide herd immunity. The target is achieved if they immunise an average of 70 per cent. or 90 per cent. of the children aged two or under on their patient list each quarter.
	Target payment rates are:
	£980 for the 70 per cent. target.
	£2,940 for the 90 per cent. target.
	The MMR indicator is one of 33 performance indicators in the primary care trust balance scorecard. Calculation of the ratings for 2003–04 is a matter for the new Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection.
	There is no star rating system for GPs' surgeries.

NHS Budget (Non-British Citizens)

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the annual budget for the national health service in 2003–04 has been spent on treatment of non-British citizens.

John Hutton: Entitlement to free national health service treatment is based on residence in the United Kingdom. The national health service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989 place a duty on NHS trusts to establish whether a patient is ordinarily resident or otherwise eligible for free NHS hospital treatment and, if not, to levy a charge for any treatment provided.
	The amounts collected from NHS charged patients are not separately identified in trust accounts and are not collected centrally.

NHS Complaints Procedure

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the individuals and organisations from which his Department, its executive agencies and the non-departmental public bodies for which his Department are responsible received a response to the consultation, Reforming the NHS complaints procedure: a listening document.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 22 January 2004
	The information requested has been placed in the Library.

NHS Funding

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each (a) NHS region, (b) health authority and (c) NHS trust for each quarter of 2002–03 the (i) monetary value of approvals to use (A) capital and (B) revenue for capital purposes, (ii) number of approvals and (iii) total capital allocation.

John Hutton: holding answer 3 February 2004
	The allocation of capital resources available for hospital and community health services for 2002–03 is contained in HSC 2001/027. This shows that £85.6 million was set aside for central budgets (to be distributed by the Department of Health); none was distributed directly to health authorities and the table below shows the allocations to regions for 2002–03.
	
		£000
		
			 2002–03 regional capitalplanning totals General allocations Renal services Fallon Enquiry Total 
		
		
			 Northern and Yorkshire 183,112 1,171 — 184,283 
			 Trent 139,351 902 3,000 143,253 
			 Eastern 140,142 898 — 141,040 
			 London 279,262 1,442 3,000 283,704 
			 South East 231,867 1,489 — 233,356 
			 South West 132,332 841 — 133,173 
			 West Midlands 157,661 1,010 — 158,671 
			 North West 198,273 1,248 3,000 202,521 
			 Total 1,462,000 9,000 9,000 1,480,000 
		
	
	The allocations for renal services and the Fallon Enquiry were earmarked for specific initiatives. The general allocations in column two contained an element for the Local Capital Modernisation Fund (£110 million) initiative but the remaining £1.352 billion was available to regional offices to fund block and discretionary capital projects at individual trusts. It was for regions to agree individual capital projects with their local trusts and distribute the funding accordingly. To gather this information would involve disproportionate cost.
	Under Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts new serviced assets are paid for by annual payments from revenue allocations. This is the use of revenue for capital purposes. The major PFI schemes which were approved (which signed contracts) during the financial year 2002–03 and for which records are held centrally on the unitary payment which becomes payable when the scheme is fully operational are listed in the table.
	
		
			 NHS trust Region Date of approval Unitary payment(£ million) 
		
		
			 Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust South West 1 May 2002 21,267 
			 University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust West Midlands 27 November 2002 50,211

NHS Professionals

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of whether NHS Professionals is able to operate more efficiently than the previous arrangements for the recruitment of staff.

John Hutton: holding answer 30 January 2004
	The benefits from the establishment of the NHS Professionals Special Health Authority will be achieved over time both in terms of reducing costs and in ensuring higher standards in the recruitment and development of temporary staff. National health service trusts across the country have already seen a reduction in temporary staffing costs and improvement in bank fill rates due to NHS Professionals. Local agency agreements have also saved an estimated £50 million over the last year.

NHS Professionals

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the policy of NHS Professionals is on the international recruitment of nurses; how many nurses it has recruited from abroad in each year since its inception; and which countries these nurses came from.

John Hutton: holding answer 30 January 2004
	The NHS Professionals Special Health Authority does not currently recruit nursing staff from abroad. Information is not available on the nationalities of the nurses recruited to date by NHS Professionals.

Nurses/Trainees and Midwives

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to commission research into the reasons why (a) nurses and (b) midwives trained in the UK (i) do not register with the Nurses and Midwifery Council and (ii) practise overseas;
	(2)  if he will commission research to establish the number of UK nurse trainees who do not register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and their reasons.

John Hutton: The Department have a continuing programme of research into workforce issues, which is reviewed on a regular basis. The Nursing Research Unit at King's College London has undertaken studies of the careers of the 1990–91 cohort of registered general nurses and the 1997–98 cohort of Project 2000 diplomates. Both studies provide information about practising overseas, the findings will be placed in the Library. The diplomate cohort provides information about registering with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
	With regard to registering with the NMC, the study showed that the overwhelming majority of newly qualified or about to qualify nurses and midwives had registered or were about to register with the NMC. With regard to practising overseas, while many nurses and midwives expressed an interest in working abroad while in training, of these who intended to work overseas, under 2 per cent., actually went on to work abroad once they started nursing.
	Nurses have always used their qualifications to work overseas. The United Kingdom is a net importer of nurses and midwives and there are more qualified nurses working in the national health service than ever before. Between September 1997 and March 2003 there has been an increase of over 55,000 nurses working in the NHS. This shows that our recruitment and retention policies are working and suggests that overseas nurses consider the UK to be a good place to work.

Nursing Students (Tuition Fees)

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of meeting tuition fees for nursing students arising from the Higher Education Bill.

John Hutton: holding answer 2 February 2004
	Existing contracts between strategic health authorities and higher education institutions for nursing, midwifery and allied health professional training, cover the full cost of that training, including tuition. The consultation document, "Funding Learning and Development for the Healthcare Workforce", sets out our proposal for a national model contract. It is intended that this contract for national health service-funded pre-registration courses, to be introduced from 1 April 2004, will continue to cover the full cost of training and will specifically prohibit the charging of variable fees to NHS students arising from the Higher Education Bill. There will, therefore, be no additional cost to the NHS for meeting tuition fees arising from the Higher Education Bill.

Primary Care Trusts

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the allocations to primary care trusts (PCTs) of the funding announced in his Department's press release of 18 September; and what guidance he will issue to PCTs on how their allocations on local dental services are to be spent.

Rosie Winterton: On 18 September 2003, we announced new investment totalling £65.2 million for dentistry. This consisted of £35 million capital for dental access and quality, £30 million for dental information technology (IT) and £200,000 for developing dental leadership. This was on top of revenue funding we announced in August of £9 million for targeted support on dental access and £1 million for organisation development. We subsequently announced on 25 November 2003 further revenue funding of £15 million to support access for patients to a modernised national health service dental service, bringing the total of new funding announced this year for dentistry to £90.2 million.
	The £30 million investment in IT will facilitate integration of dental practices with wider NHS (IT) systems and will support local contracting. The IT investment and solutions for dentistry consistent with other NHS information technology initiatives are being taken forward within the national programme for IT.
	The funding of £200,000 for developing dental leadership is aimed at strategic health authority level to support primary care trusts (PCTs) in delivering the modernisation agenda for dentistry.
	The organisational development funds of £1 million are being distributed in line with advice from strategic health authorities (SHAs). They are intended to help PCTs, local dental committees and dentists to prepare for the change in the way dental services are commissioned. £0.3 million has been distributed for 2003–04 and the remaining £0.7 million will be distributed for use in 2004–05.
	The balance of £59 million is intended to support dental access and quality as follows:
	£9 million is for the NHS dentistry support team that has been set up to work with those areas where it is hardest to find an NHS dentist. These funds are being used in a targeted way to support local action plans for improving access to dentistry. The NHS support team have identified 16 PCTs with specific dental access issues. Funding for these PCTs, which are shown in the following list, will take into account the challenge faced by the individual PCTs and the potential benefit of the proposals in the dental action plan that each of the challenged PCTs is developing. Draft plans are now starting to arrive. The team allocated £200,000 in 2003–04, and will be increasing the pace of allocations early in 2004–05 based on the plans currently in preparation;
	£35 million capital funds are to enable PCTs to invest in primary care premises and facilities to improve access and quality. These funds will be distributed on a fair-shares basis at SHA level and then on a targeted basis to PCTs on the advice of the SHAs. The fair shares for SHAs are set out in the table. The bulk of the funds will be spent in 2004–05 to allow SHAs and PCTs to plan for its investment; and
	£15 million revenue funding for 2004–05 to support access will also be allocated on a fair-shares basis at SHA level and, on the advice of the SHA, on a targeted basis to PCTs. The SHA fair shares allocations of these funds are set out in the table.
	Guidance for PCTs on commissioning NHS dentistry, including the allocation of £35 million capital and £15 million revenue to support access, quality and choice was issued on 15 January 2004. The guidance makes it clear that access remains a key priority in the run-up to the new arrangements for dentistry from April 2005.
	PCTs which have been identified for support from the NHS Dentistry Support Team:
	Fareham and Gosport;
	Isle of Wight;
	New Forest;
	West Gloucestershire;
	North East Lincolnshire;
	Scarborough, Whitby and Rydedale;
	Craven, Harrogate and Rural District;
	Northumbria Care Trust;
	Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale;
	Hyndeburn and Ribble;
	Blackburn with Darwen;
	Morecambe Bay;
	Shropshire County;
	Telford and Wrekin;
	South West Staffordshire; and
	Central Cheshire.
	
		£000
		
			 Strategic Health Authority Capital Revenue 
		
		
			 England 35,000 15,000 
			
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 1,396 598 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 1,039 446 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country 1,771 761 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 1,853 796 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 894 384 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 1,411 602 
			 Dorset and Somerset 814 349 
			 Essex 1,071 458 
			 Greater Manchester 1,987 852 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 1,148 492 
			 Kent and Medway 1,071 459 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 962 412 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 1,416 607 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 1,073 460 
			 North Central London 961 413 
			 North East London 1,297 556 
			 North West London 1,344 575 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 1,089 466 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 988 425 
			 South East London 1,165 499 
			 South West London 863 370 
			 South West Peninsula 1,092 469 
			 South Yorkshire 981 420 
			 Surrey and Sussex 1,689 723 
			 Thames Valley 1,285 550 
			 Trent 1,813 777 
			 West Midlands South 1,013 433 
			 West Yorkshire 1,514 648

Radiographers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies exist for radiographers in the NHS in (a) Portsmouth and South East Hampshire and (b) England; and what assessment he has made of progress towards improving recruitment.

John Hutton: Information on the number and rate of three month vacancies for radiographers in each year since 2001 is shown in the following tables.
	The Government are implementing a range of measures to recruit more health care professionals and have made considerable progress in increasing the number of radiographers employed in the national health service and the number of training places for radiographers. There are 11 per cent. more NHS radiographers than in 1997 and the number of students entering training to become a radiographer has more than doubled since 1996–97.
	
		Department of Health Vacancies Survey: Vacancies in NHS Trusts by HA area and SHA area for qualified radiography staff -- Three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post
		
			  March 2001 September 2000 
			  Three month vacancy rate (Percentage) Three month vacancy (Number) Staff in post (whole-time equivalent) Staff in post (headcount) 
		
		
			 Diagnostic 
			 England (excluding HA staff) 4.4 420 9,165 11,032 
			 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire HA 0.0 0 78 110 
			 Isle of Wight HA 15.9 4 19 26 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Therapeutic 
			 England (excluding HA staff) 8.0 114 1,309 1,453 
			 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire HA 6.5 2 29 33 
			 Isle of Wight HA * 0 0 0 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA n/a n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		Three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post
		
			  March 2002 September 2001 
			  Three month vacancy rate (Percentage) Three month vacancy (Number) Staff in post (whole-time equivalent) Staff in post (headcount) 
		
		
			 Diagnostic 
			 England (excluding HA staff) 5.5 531 9,260 11,158 
			 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire HA n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Isle of Wight HA n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA 7.9 23 270 340 
			  
			 Therapeutic 
			 England (excluding HA staff) 8.8 134 1,391 1,543 
			 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire HA n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Isle of Wight HA n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA 0.0 0 55 62 
		
	
	
		Three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post
		
			  March 2003 September 2002 
			  Three month vacancy rate (Percentage) Three month vacancy (Number) Staff in post (whole-time equivalent) Staff in post (headcount) 
		
		
			 Diagnostic 
			 England (excluding HA staff) 6.1 599 9,489 11,489 
			 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire HA n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Isle of Wight HA n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA 6.5 22 283 364 
			  
			 Therapeutic 
			 England (excluding HA staff) 10.7 169 1,374 1,542 
			 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire HA n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Isle of Wight HA n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA 5.7 4 56 65 
		
	
	Three month vacancy notes:
	1. Three month vacancy information is as at 31 March.
	2. Three month vacancies are vacancies which Trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole-time equivalents).
	3. Three month Vacancy Rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post.
	4. For 2002 and 2003 three month Vacancy Rates are calculated using staff in post from the Vacancy Survey. Earlier years vacancy rates are calculated using staff in post from the Non-Medical Workforce Census the previous September.
	5. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.
	6. n/a = not applicable.
	7 * = Vacancies plus staff in post is less than 10.
	Staff in post notes:
	Staff in post data is from the Non-Medical Workforce Census, September each specified year.
	General notes:
	1. Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number.
	2. Calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates.
	3. Due to rounding, totals may not equal the sum of component parts.
	4. Strategic HA figures are based on Trusts, and do not necessarily reflect the geographical provision of health care.
	Sources:
	Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March each specified year.
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census, September each specified year.

Rainbows Children's Hospice (Leicestershire)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has had from hon. Members concerning the funding of Rainbows Children's Hospice.

Stephen Ladyman: Ministers have replied to a small number of Parliamentary Questions and letters from hon. Members. In addition, the former Secretary of State met with the Chief Executive of the Rainbows Children's Hospice in April 2003.

Respite Care

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money Leicestershire West Primary Care Trust gave to projects dealing with children's respite care in 2003.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally. The New Opportunities Fund has provided £48 million over three years in support of palliative care projects for children, of which children's hospices have received £15 million.
	The Rainbows Children's Hospice Loughborough has received £650,000 from the New Opportunities Fund.

Sensory Impairment

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department spent on (i) advertising and (ii) information campaigns in each year since 1995–96; what his estimate is for 2003–04; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 21 January 2004
	The following table shows the expenditure on major information campaigns and advertising commissioned by the Department's communications directorate for the financial years 1995–96 to 2003–04 (estimated). The figures include the costs of campaign-related publishing, TV, radio, poster, newspaper and magazine advertising.
	
		£ million
		
			 Financial year Total campaign expenditure Advertising expenditure 
		
		
			 1995–96 15.56 2.08 
			 1996–97 15.13 2.50 
			 1997–98 6.63 2.04 
			 1998–99 22.96 8.53 
			 1999–2000 35.97 15.17 
			 2000–01 25.32 20.80 
			 2001–02 37.23 20.41 
			 2002–03 34.85 23.13 
			 2003–04(22) 52.5 38.98 
		
	
	(22) Estimated
	The differences between 2002–03 actual and 2003–04 forecast figures is the result of the Government's commitment to increasing tobacco control advertising. The SR2002 settlement allocated £39 million per annum for three years to tobacco control advertising. Expenditure for the Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Streptococcal Infections

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to implement the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Green Top Guidelines on Group B streptococcus.

Stephen Ladyman: The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' guidelines on the Prevention of Early Onset Neonatal Group B Streptococcus Disease have been circulated to all fellows and members of the College. Ministers have asked the UK National Screening Committee (NSC) to undertake further work to assess the existing evidence on screening and treatment for Group B Streptococcus in pregnancy in the UK. A recent workshop agreed a number of actions to reduce the risk of GBS infection, including ensuring better information for professionals and pregnant women, more consistent and appropriate advice and treatment for women at increased risk, and further research. The NSC will take forward a programme of work in the light of this report during 2004.

NHS Staff

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nurses and (b) general practitioners are in training in (a) South Tyneside, (b) Tyne and Wear, (c) the North East and (d) the UK; and what the figures were in 1997.

John Hutton: The number (headcount) of general practitioner registrars in South Tyneside Primary Care Trust (PCT), Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authorities and England since 1997 is shown in table 1.
	The number (whole time equivalent) of pre-registration nurses in training in Northern England Workforce Development Confederation (WDC), County Durham and Tees Valley WDC and England in each year since 1998–99, the first year the information is available, is shown in table 2. Information is not available at South Tyneside PCT level.
	Information for GP registrars and nurses in training in Scotland and Wales are the responsibility of the devolved Administrations. While the institutions in Northern Ireland are dissolved, responsibility rests with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office.
	
		1. GP registrars in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear SHA and Co. Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority -- Number (headcount)
		
			  1997 2001 2002 June 2003 
		
		
			 England 1,343 1,883 1,980 2,157 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 25 55 73 78 
			 of which: 
			 South Tyneside PCT 3 3 4  
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 28 34 37 51 
		
	
	Note:
	Data as at 1 October 1997, 30 September 2001–02 and 30 June 2003.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
	
		2. Number of students in pre-registration nursing and midwifery training between 1998–99 and 2002–03 -- Number (whole time equivalent)
		
			  England Northern England WDC County Durham and Tees Valley WDC 
		
		
			 1998–99 39,319 1,278 695 
			 1999–2000 44,005 1,728 752 
			 2000–01 48,422 1,400 827 
			 2001–02 53,299 1,883 1,032 
			 2002–03 58,902 1,672 1,154 
		
	
	Note:
	There have been boundary changes since 1998–99, data are not, therefore, directly comparable.
	Source:
	Financial and Workforce Information Return.

Waiting Lists/Times

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times were for (a) all specialities, (b) orthopaedics and (c) thoracic treatment in each year since 1997 for (i) England and (ii) each region; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Waiting Lists/Times

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the (a) mean and (b) median waiting time for (i) in-patient and (ii) first out-patient appointments for each quarter from 1990–91 to Q1 2004; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: holding answer 28 January 2004
	The tables show estimates of the mean and median waiting times for in-patients and out-patients. Out-patient data are only available from Quarter 3, 1993–94.
	
		Patients waiting for elective in-patient admission: England
		
			  Average waiting time (months) 
			 Quarter ending Mean Median 
		
		
			 30 June 1990 8.55 4.77 
			 30 September 1990 8.41 4.76 
			 31 December 1990 7.95 4.50 
			 31 March 1991 7.57 4.43 
			 30 June 1991 7.53 4.37 
			 30 September 1991 7.31 4.19 
			 31 December 1991 6.43 3.75 
			 31 March 1992 5.12 3.20 
			 30 June 1992 5.03 3.45 
			 30 September 1992 4.96 3.40 
			 31 December 1992 4.77 3.24 
			 31 March 1993 4.53 3.18 
			 30 June 1993 4.72 3.47 
			 30 September 1993 4.80 3.45 
			 31 December 1993 4.80 3.41 
			 31 March 1994 4.61 3.23 
			 30 June 1994 4.64 3.35 
			 30 September 1994 4.59 3.25 
			 31 December 1994 4.42 3.02 
			 31 March 1995 4.02 2.84 
			 30 June 1995 4.08 2.95 
			 30 September 1995 4.01 2.86 
			 31 December 1995 3.87 2.79 
			 31 March 1996 3.66 2.72 
			 30 June 1996 3.81 2.84 
			 30 September 1996 3.89 2.82 
			 31 December 1996 3.99 2.87 
			 31 March 1997 4.17 3.04 
			 30 June 1997 4.34 3.09 
			 30 September 1997 4.49 3.27 
			 31 December 1997 4.60 3.36 
			 31 March 1998 4.61 3.42 
			 30 June 1998 4.67 3.50 
			 30 September 1998 4.53 3.25 
			 31 December 1998 4.39 3.03 
			 31 March 1999 4.30 2.96 
			 30 June 1999 4.28 2.95 
			 30 September 1999 4.30 2.95 
			 31 December 1999 4.30 2.94 
			 31 March 2000 4.31 2.97 
			 30 June 2000 4.37 3.08 
			 30 September 2000 4.36 3.00 
			 31 December 2000 4.32 2.96 
			 31 March 2001 4.18 2.90 
			 30 June 2001 4.35 3.16 
			 30 September 2001 4.35 3.09 
			 31 December 2001 4.15 2.94 
			 31 March 2002 4.01 2.92 
			 30 June2002 4.07 3.04 
			 30 September 2002 4.02 2.96 
			 31December 2002 3.89 2.87 
			 31 March 2003 3.61 2.75 
			 30 June 2003 3.62 2.80 
			 30 September 2003 3.53 2.71 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health form KH07
	
		Waiting times for 1st consultant out-patient appointment following G(D)P referral: England
		
			  Average waiting time (weeks) 
			 Quarter Mean Median 
		
		
			 Q1 1993–94 9.37 5.47 
			 Q2 1993–94 9.35 5.42 
			 Q1 1994–95 8.90 5.69 
			 Q2 1994–95 8.91 5.82 
			 Q3 1994–95 9.06 5.72 
			 Q4 1994–95 9.33 6.05 
			 Q1 1995–96 8.60 6.01 
			 Q2 1995–96 8.85 6.31 
			 Q3 1995–96 8.76 6.07 
			 Q4 1995–96 8.68 6.02 
			 Q1 1996–97 8.48 6.13 
			 Q2 1996–97 8.46 6.18 
			 Q3 1996–97 8.64 6.05 
			 Q4 1996–97 8.70 6.05 
			 Q1 1997–98 8.71 6.17 
			 Q2 1997–98 8.86 6.37 
			 Q3 1997–98 9.13 6.25 
			 Q4 1997–98 9.32 6.27 
			 Q1 1998–99 9.30 6.49 
			 Q2 1998–99 9.63 6.80 
			 Q3 1998–99 10.06 6.89 
			 Q4 1998–99 10.42 6.99 
			 Q1 1999–2000 10.46 7.09 
			 Q2 1999–2000 10.73 7.31 
			 Q3 1999–2000 11.08 7.32 
			 Q4 1999–2000 11.49 7.58 
			 Q1 2000–01 10.49 7.1 1 
			 Q2 2000–01 10.76 7.45 
			 Q3 2000–01 10.90 7.38 
			 Q4 2000–01 10.81 7.38 
			 Q1 2001–02 9.72 6.89 
			 Q2 2001–02 10.10 7.21 
			 Q3 2001–02 10.49 7.27 
			 Q4 2001–02 11.06 7.58 
			 Q1 2002–03 8.93 7.03 
			 Q2 2002–03 8.97 7.15 
			 Q3 2002–03 8.98 7.22 
			 Q4 2002–03 8.99 7.34 
			 Q1 2003–04 8.25 6.86 
			 Q2 2003–04 8.52 7.05 
		
	
	Note:
	The figures shown are estimates based on aggregate data, categorised into waiting time bands, and do not reflect shifts in the waiting time profiles within these bands, only between bands. The median is not very sensitive to reductions in maximum waiting times, and it is possible to see a rise in the median, while reducing maximum waiting times because of shifts in low time bands. Short-term progress on delivering maximum waiting times (including in-year tail-gunning) will not necessarily translate into a reduction in the median waiting time. Our policy, therefore, is to focus attention on the number of patients waiting the longest, and in each waiting time band. Year-on-year, the trend on both waiting lists and waiting times is clearly downwards. Waiting lists are now over 199,000 lower than March 1997, and numbers of patients waiting over 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months and 15 months for in-patient treatment are all lower than inherited March 1997 figures.Source:
	Department of Health form QM08

Waiting Lists/Times

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital trolley waits there were in the London region in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003; and how many there were in December of each year.

John Hutton: Information on the number of emergency admissions through accident and emergency departments and the time spent waiting for admission to a ward is published each quarter at www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity. This information is available in the Library. Information is not available on a monthly basis.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Anti-social Behaviour

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what advice he has given to (a) police and (b) local councils on (i) the need to liaise with each other, (ii) the protocols for publishing intentions in the local press and (iii) operational protocols in respect of anti-social behaviour legislation;
	(2)  what guidance he has issued to (a) local councils and (b) the police on the use of anti-social behaviour legislation to disperse groups of youths.

Hazel Blears: We have issued a "Together Campaign Pack" which provides information and tools for local authorities, police and other practitioners to run campaigns against anti-social behaviour in their area. It encourages practitioners to keep the public and partner organisations informed and involved in the work they are doing to tackle anti-social behaviour.
	We have also issued Home Office Circular number 04/2004 describing the powers to disperse groups contained in Part 4 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003. The circular provides information to assist the police and local authorities in the use of the new powers. The National Centre for Policing Excellence (NCPE) has been asked to produce further guidance on these new powers. We hope to publish the guidance later this year.

Anti-social Behaviour

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a code of practice for police operations in respect of recent anti-social behaviour legislation.

Hazel Blears: We have published "A Guide to the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003", copies of which were sent to all Chief Constables in England and Wales and Members of Parliament. In addition, we have produced some detailed guidance on the measures in the Act for practitioners, including the police. Examples of these include:
	Notes of Guidance to Accompany Part One of the Act, 'The Power to Close Premises' where drugs are used unlawfully.
	Home Office Circular 04/2004 on the use of the powers to disperse groups contained in Part 4 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003.
	Home Office Circular 01/2004 on the purpose and effect of the firearms provisions contained in Part 5 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003.
	Information on when further guidance will be issued on other measures in the Act is contained in the Guide to the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003.

Asylum Policy

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the differences between the proposed new measures on asylum policy and the present immigration rules.

Beverley Hughes: The Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill and accompanying explanatory notes set out the proposed changes to existing legislation and the effect of these changes. The Immigration Rules can be accessed through the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) website.

Asylum Seekers

Iain Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what instructions were given to his Department's staff on the length of time of stay that asylum seekers were allowed in the UK before applying for asylum before section 55 of the Nationality, Asylum and Immigration Act 2001 was enforced; from when those instructions applied; and what the current instructions are; and from what date they applied;
	(2)  when he will publish revised National Asylum Support Service Policy Bulletin 75 on the application of section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002;
	(3)  if he will publish the revised casework notes on the application of section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, issued to the National Asylum Support Service caseworkers after 17 December 2003.

Beverley Hughes: Instructions on the operation of Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 first appeared in Policy Bulletin 75, published on 7 January 2003. Revised instructions appear in Policy Bulletin 75 version 3, published 11 April 2003.
	My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced on 17 December 2003 that asylum applicants who could give a credible explanation of the way in which they arrived in the UK and who had made a claim for asylum within three days of arrival would be considered to have applied as soon as reasonably practicable.
	In view of the interest in the operation of section 55, a new revised edition of Policy Bulletin 75 which will include guidance to National Asylum Support Service caseworkers, will be published in February.

Asylum Seekers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further research has been conducted since July 2002 on why asylum seekers seek asylum in Britain rather than elsewhere; on what size of sample such research was based; and from which countries the participants originated.

Beverley Hughes: Since the publication of the Home Office report "Understanding the decision-making of asylum seekers" (Home Office Research Series 243/Findings 172) in July 2002, there has been no further research undertaken by the Home Office which focuses specifically on why asylum seekers choose to come to the United Kingdom in preference to other possible destinations.
	The Immigration and Nationality Directorate carries out analysis of asylum statistics and findings from other studies to assess likely trends in asylum intake figures.
	The Research Development and Statistics Directorate of the Home Office is in the process of agreeing its 2004–05 research programme. It is likely that further investigations into the decision-making of asylum applicants and other migrants will form a part of this programme.

Asylum Seekers

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants who are citizens of Sri Lanka were given permission to stay in the UK in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003; and how many applications were refused in each of these years.

Beverley Hughes: pursuant to his answer, 21 January 2004, Official Report, c. 1269W
	Due to an administrative error the figures for Sri Lanka were not the most current figures available. The corrected version of the answer is in the table.
	The table shows the available data, for outcomes of initial decisions relating to asylum applications (principal applicants) for nationals of Sri Lanka in 2000, 2001, 2002 and from January to September 2003. Grants of exceptional leave to remain and of discretionary leave may be followed by review of individuals' cases and do not necessarily result in permanent settlement.
	
		Initial decisions on asylum applications(23) , (24) received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, by year, nationals of Sri Lanka -- Principal applicants
		
			  Decisions 
			 Sri Lanka Totaldecisions Grants of asylum Grants of Exceptional Leave to Remain Grants of Humanitarian Protection Grants of Discretionary Leave Totalrefusals(25) Grants of Exceptional Leave to Remain under backlog criteria(26) , (27) Non compliance refusals under backlog criteria(26) , (28) 
		
		
			 2000 9,050 900 285 n/a n/a 6,875 895 100 
			 2001(29) 10,350 1,440 540 n/a n/a 8,370 n/a n/a 
			 2002(30) 4,285 340 275 n/a n/a 3,670 n/a n/a 
			 January to September 2003(30) 1,265 20 55 — 35 1,155 n/a n/a 
		
	
	n/a = not applicable
	(23) Provisional figures rounded to nearest 5.
	(24) Information is of initial determination decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.
	(25) May include some refusals under non compliance grounds.
	(26) Cases decided under pragmatic measures aimed at reducing the pre 1996 asylum backlog.
	(27) May include a small number of cases where asylum has been granted.
	(28) May include a small number of cases where the application has been refused on substantive grounds.
	(29) Revised figures
	(30) Provisional figures.
	The table shows the available data, for outcomes of appeals relating to refused asylum applications (principal applicants) for nationals of Sri Lanka in 2000, 2001, 2002 and from January to September 2003. Allowed appeals may result in grants of asylum, grants of humanitarian protection or grants of discretionary leave, or in appeals to the IAT by the Secretary of State, and do not necessarily result in permanent settlement.
	
		Outcome of Appeals(31) , (32) determined by adjudicators of the Immigration Appellate Authority, excluding dependants, nationals of Sri Lanka, 2001 to September 2003 -- Number of principal appellants
		
			  Appeals determined by adjudicators(32) 
			   Allowed Dismissed Withdrawn 
			  Total Total As percentage of Determined Total As percentage of Determined Total As percentage of Determined 
		
		
			 2001 4,830 1,810 37 2,900 60 120 2 
			 2002 6,435 1,455 23 4,880 76 100 2 
			 January to September 2003 4,710 580 12 4,015 85 110 2 
		
	
	(31) Provisional figures rounded to nearest 5 (except percentages) with '*' = 1 or 2. Figures may not add up due to independent rounding.
	(32) Figures include cases withdrawn by the Home Office, as well as the appellant.
	Information on asylum applications and decisions is published quarterly. The next publication will be available on the 24 February 2004 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Burglaries

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for burglary were of first-time burglars in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) police authority and (b) age; and how many of these were given a custodial sentence in each year.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not available. However Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 1998 (Cm. 4649) and Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 2000 (Cm. 5312), both deposited in the Library, contain estimates of the percentage of male burglars sentenced in 1998 and 2000 who had no previous convictions for a standard list offence. The estimated percentages were 25 per cent. and 31 per cent. respectively for 1998 and 2000.

Cannabis

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prosecutions brought for cannabis-related offences have not resulted in a conviction in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is contained in the table.
	
		Proportion of persons(33) proceeded against for cannabis related offences(34) who were not convicted
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 1998 9 
			 1999 10 
			 2000 8 
			 2001 10 
			 2002 10 
		
	
	(33) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(34) Offences include supplying or offering to supply, possession with intent to supply, production, possession and permitting premises to be used for unlawful purpose (cannabis).
	Statistics for 2003 will be published in the autumn.

Cannabis

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what references will be made in his new campaign on drugs education to accompany the reclassification of cannabis on possible links with mental illness.

Caroline Flint: A £1 million information campaign started on 22 January to inform the public about the changes to the law on cannabis. This includes radio and newspaper adverts, leaflets, posters, postcards and education packs for schools. All these communications are designed to provide the simple message that cannabis is harmful and remains illegal.
	Further activity is planned to communicate specific messages about the health risks associated with cannabis, which are evidence based and rigorously market tested. This will include mental health issues.

Drugs

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people in England and Wales who take (a) heroin, (b) marijuana, (c) cocaine and (d) ecstasy.

Caroline Flint: The British Crime Survey (BCS) provides figures on use among adults aged 16 to 59 years of age in England and Wales. The 2002–03 BCS estimated that approximately 3.4 million adults had used marijuana, 640,000 had used cocaine and 610,000 had used ecstasy and 45,000 had used heroin in the previous 12 months.
	Approximately one million people were estimated to have used class A drugs during the last year.
	Estimated levels of drug use for those aged 16 to 59 years have remained the same since 2001–02.

Drugs

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the system of classifying illegal drugs.

Caroline Flint: The Government have no plans to review the system used to classify illegal drugs.
	The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) is a statutory and non-executive non-departmental public body, established by the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) 1971. It has a statutory duty to keep under review the situation in the United Kingdom with respect to the misuse of drugs and to advise Ministers of the measures which they consider should to be taken to deal with social problems which arise from drug misuse. Ministers may also ask the ACMD to consider the appropriate classification and scheduling of any substance. In addition, the ACMD has a duty to consider any matter relating to drug dependence or misuse that may be referred to them by Ministers.

Fixed Penalty Notices

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were issued in the most recent period for which figures are available, broken down by police authority in England and Wales; what the total value of these penalty notices was; what proportion of these were paid in full and on time; and what proportion of those fined paid their penalty in full and on time.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 30 January 2004
	Information on fixed penalty notices issued for road traffic offences by police force area can be found in the annual Home Office publication 'Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales Supplementary tables'—Tables 20(a) to 20(c) refers. The latest issue covers 2001. Copies are available from the Library. The total value of fixed penalty notices issued is not collected centrally.
	Data are also collected centrally on the disposal, (i.e. paid, fine registration certificate issued etc) of fixed penalty notices issued for road traffic offences. However because of the time taken for the procedures for payment to be enforced the data are collected approximately nine months later than the period of issue. Tables 21(a) and 21(b) of the above 2001 publication detail 2000 data by number and percentage of fixed penalty notices by result. Tables 20(a) to 20(c) of the 2000 publication cover that period. Information is not available on the number of fines paid in full and on time.
	Over 6,000 penalty notices for disorder were issued in the year-long pilots in four police force areas which started in mid-2002. A Home Office Research Findings covering the evaluation of the pilots will be published shortly.

Motoring Offences

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of totting procedures for motoring offences.

Caroline Flint: The penalty points system acts as a reminder to drivers that they risk losing their licences if they persist in offending and plays an important part in our overall enforcement strategy. For the majority of drivers, the threat of disqualification through accumulating the appropriate number of penalty points acts to encourage compliance with the law.

Operation Tarian

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) raids, (b) arrests, (c) convictions and (d) drug seizures were carried out under Operation Tarian.

Caroline Flint: The Regional Task Force of Operation Tarian has executed 72 warrants, and made 82 arrests. At present no convictions have arisen as cases are awaiting trial. It has seized 1.3 kg of cocaine, 0.491 kg of heroin, 8 kg of amphetamines, 15,738 tablets of ecstasy and 301,600 kg of cannabis, with a total estimated value of £1.6 million.
	In addition it has seized £123,500 cash, placed restraining orders on property to the value of £1 million, dismantled six organised crime groups and disrupted 14 others.

Murders (Southend)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders there were in Southend in each of the last 10 years; and how many resulted in convictions.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 3 February 2004
	Published information on homicide relates to England and Wales only. The latest available is given in Home Office Statistical Bulletin number 01/04, 'Crime in England and Wales 2002/2003: Supplementary Volume 1: Homicide and Gun Crime', a copy of which should be available from the Library or internet site http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/hosbpubs1.html.

Police (Cumbria)

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons he proposes to reduce the amount of police specific grant to be received in Cumbria in 2004–05 in respect of the Rural Policing Initiative.

Hazel Blears: Force allocations for the 31 forces benefiting from the £30 million Rural Policing Fund are determined by sparsity and population factors alone. I have made no changes to the formulae underpinning the Fund for next year. Cumbria's share will reduce by £7,000 (0.5 per cent.) to take account of changes in data relative to other authorities. Cumbria's allocation for 2004–05 is £1,348,383.

Police Statistics (Wales)

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many (a) recorded burglaries, (b) recorded thefts from or of a vehicle, (c) recorded violent crimes, (d) recorded crimes involving the use of firearms, (e) recorded drug offences and (f) crimes there were in Wales, broken down by (i) police force, (ii) constituency and (iii) local authority area for each year since 1997;
	(2)  if he will list the crime clear-up rate in Wales, broken down by (a) police force, (b) constituency and (c) local authority area for each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the tables.
	Recorded crime statistics are not broken down by constituency areas. However, they are available at Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) level. CDRPs were set up under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, with data available from 1999–2000. CDRPs broadly equate to local authority areas and include representatives from police, health, probation and other local agencies and provide strategies for reducing crime in the area. Recorded crime figures are available at CDRP level for six key offences only: violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, burglary in a dwelling, theft of a motor vehicle, and theft from a vehicle.
	There was a change of counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which had the effect of increasing the number of crimes counted. Numbers of offences for years before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.
	The National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) was introduced across England and Wales in April 2002. Broadly, the NCRS had the effect of increasing the number of crimes recorded by the police. Therefore, following the introduction of the Standard, numbers of recorded crimes are not comparable with previous years. Total detection rates (percentages) in Wales, for 1997 to 2002–03, are given in the table.
	
		Percentage
		
			 Force 1997 1998–99(35) 1999–2000(36) 2000–01 2001–02(37) 2002–03(37) 
		
		
			 Dyfed Powys 61 69 65 63 64 68 
			 Gwent 51 55 53 57 55 48 
			 North Wales 34 43 36 31 28 29 
			 South Wales 36 39 31 32 33 29 
			 Wales total 41 46 40 41 39 36 
		
	
	(35) Percentage detected using the expanded coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.
	(36) Revised Home Office instructions, which clarified the recording of detections, were introduced on 1 April 1999. These instructions provided more precise and rigorous criteria for securing a detection, with the underlying emphasis on the successful result of a police investigation. As a result of the revised detections guidance (in which some previous methods of detection were no longer counted), the numbers of crimes detected, and figures derived from them, will have been affected.
	(37) Detection figures may also have been affected by the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS), with the exception of Gwent in 2001–02.
	Overall detection rates are not available for CDRP areas.
	
		Table 1
		
			 Offence 1997 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			  Crime recorded by the police in Wales(38) , (39) , (42) 
			 All burglary 46,445 41,941 36,764 32,883 32,248 36,848 
			 Theft of and from vehicles 59,785 56,161 51,864 43,652 42,662 48,879 
			 Violent crime(40) 20,071 34,770 40,580 40,822 39,274 56,561 
			 Firearms offences 594 591 712 614 (43)106 (43)161 
			 Drug offences(41) 1,526 9,749 8,520 8,351 9,425 10,268 
			 All crime 236,936 261,994 255,487 238,449 241,765 294,846 
			  Crime recorded by the police in Dyfed Powys(38) , (39) , (42) 
			 All burglary 2,590 2,615 2,072 1,978 2,122 2,104 
			 Theft of and from vehicles 2,372 2,480 2,203 2,120 2,052 2,028 
			 Violent crime(40) 2,503 5,039 5,839 5,751 5,844 6,531 
			 Firearms offences 61 60 45 68 (43)26 (43)17 
			 Drug offences(41) 374 2,483 2,030 1,690 2,407 2,978 
			 All crime 18,098 24,588 23,709 22,878 24,003 25,104 
			
			  Crime recorded by the police in Gwent(38) , (39) , (42) 
			 All burglary 9,154 8,416 7,656 6,905 6,172 7,586 
			 Theft of and from vehicles 9,649 9,746 9,107 8,109 7,019 8,332 
			 Violent crime(40) 6,139 11,980 14,493 14,682 9,837 15,835 
			 Firearms offences 129 215 248 197 (43)18 (43)52 
			 Drug offences(41) 389 2,447 2,214 2,196 1,729 1,585 
			 All crime 47,268 58,738 60,132 56,728 46,938 61,237 
			
			  Crime recorded by the police in North Wales(38) , (39) , (42) 
			 All burglary 7,554 7,226 6,892 7,246 7,405 8,543 
			 Theft of and from vehicles 7,911 7,254 7,501 7,186 7,710 8,096 
			 Violent crime(40) 3,167 5,164 6,258 5,927 8,049 12,268 
			 Firearms offences 109 94 104 74 (43)6 (43)18 
			 Drug offences(41) 238 1,885 1,586 1,427 1,382 1,833 
			 All crime 40,684 43,848 44,606 47,712 54,116 65,133 
			
			  Crime recorded by the police in South Wales(38) , (39) , (42) 
			 All burglary 27,147 23,684 20,144 16,754 16,549 18,615 
			 Theft of and from vehicles 39,853 36,681 33,053 26,237 25,881 30,423 
			 Violent crime(40) 8,262 12,587 13,990 14,262 15,544 21,927 
			 Firearms offences 295 222 315 275 (43)56 (43)74 
			 Drug offences(41) 525 2,934 2,690 3,038 3,907 3,872 
			 All crime 130,886 134,820 127,040 111,131 116,708 143,372 
		
	
	(38) Crimes were recorded on a calendar year basis until 1997, and on a financial year basis thereafter.
	(39) The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998. These changes had the general effect of increasing the number of crimes counted. Therefore, numbers of recorded crimes for this year are not directly comparable with previous years.
	(40) Violent crime comprises offences of violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery.
	(41) Up to 1997, the only drug offence recorded was 'Trafficking in controlled drugs'. From 1998–99, the offences of 'Possession of controlled drugs' and 'Other drug offences', were added to the series.
	(42) Three of the Wales forces implemented the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) prior to the official introduction on 1 April 2002; North Wales in October 2001, and both Dyfed Powys and South Wales in January 2002. Gwent introduced the Standard in April 2002. Broadly, the NCRS had the effect of increasing the number of crimes recorded by the police, with violent crime in particular being affected. Therefore, following the introduction of the Standard, numbers of recorded crimes are not comparable with previous years.
	(43) The figures given for 2001–02 and 2002–03 are based on numbers of firearms offences recorded which exclude air weapons. The previous years figures include air weapons offences. Therefore, the figures for 2001–02 and 2002–03 are not comparable with previous years figures.
	
		Table 2: Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) in Wales from April 1999 to March 2003: numbers recorded for six key offences
		
			  Violence against the person Sexual offences 
			 CDRP 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Dyfed-Powys 
			 Carmarthenshire 2,275 2,243 2,455 2,523 115 108 130 100 
			 Ceredigion 783 719 723 938 45 56 29 58 
			 Pembroke 1,201 1,245 1,162 1,340 69 87 79 51 
			 Powys 1,260 1,217 1,177 1,416 63 53 54 65 
			  
			 Gwent 
			 Blaenau Gwent 1,986 2,237 1,672 2,751 96 59 72 62 
			 Caerphilly 4,779 4,959 2,680 4,494 142 153 121 152 
			 Monmouthshire 1,749 1,593 982 1,455 54 64 45 58 
			 Newport 3,459 3,217 2,482 4,248 142 105 117 147 
			 Torfaen 1,801 2,192 1,369 2,072 69 59 82 67 
			 North Wales 
			 Conwy 954 806 1,072 1,872 52 43 59 98 
			 Denbighshire 913 985 1,249 2,232 53 56 70 123 
			 Flintshire 1,200 1,047 1,602 2,106 73 83 96 98 
			 Gwynedd 781 784 1,223 1,738 63 59 65 94 
			 Isle of Anglesey 562 505 656 1,085 46 28 70 41 
			 Wrexham 1,329 1,231 1,541 2,439 86 133 104 101 
			  
			 South Wales 
			 Bridgend 1,419 1,363 1,468 2,003 54 59 47 91 
			 Cardiff 3,983 4,236 4,331 6,175 220 151 183 200 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 593 676 768 1,106 23 27 30 34 
			 Neath Port Talbot 1,199 1,201 1,373 2,082 38 44 37 75 
			 Rhondda, Cynon, Taff 1,822 1,992 2,192 3,542 89 80 99 165 
			 Swansea 3,040 2,801 3,038 3,936 79 96 77 94 
			 The Vale of Glamorgan 834 981 1,238 1,582 78 95 68 58 
		
	
	
		
			  Robbery Burglary dwelling 
			 CDRP 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Dyfed-Powys 
			 Carmarthenshire 17 8 11 14 282 284 322 266 
			 Ceredigion 5 3 4 8 111 97 88 87 
			 Pembroke 3 9 6 11 175 180 169 164 
			 Powys 3 35 7  128 146 135 149 
			  
			 Gwent 
			 Blaenau Gwent 15 14 18 10 524 420 283 372 
			 Caerphilly 42 45 35 51 874 704 743 878 
			 Monmouthshire 25 11 6 12 243 210 243 332 
			 Newport 111 149 137 230 1,137 894 987 1,084 
			 Torfaen 23 25 19 26 370 352 306 335 
			  
			 North Wales 
			 Conwy 24 30 16 26 415 439 575 558 
			 Denbighshire 30 32 42 66 464 462 462 672 
			 Flintshire 44 38 47 41 352 423 453 620 
			 Gwynedd 8 5 27 24 250 273 229 336 
			 Isle of Anglesey 8 13 10 18 175 149 107 218 
			 Wrexham 32 45 52 49 563 432 579 823 
			  
			 South Wales 
			 Bridgend 18 20 41 28 662 485 500 659 
			 Cardiff 262 198 318 421 2,821 2,197 2,209 2,792 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 27 19 22 17 403 345 309 292 
			 Neath Port Talbot 17 24 28 35 711 554 660 763 
			 Rhondda, Cynon, Taff 44 39 42 74 1,465 1,256 1,188 1,360 
			 Swansea 100 118 108 153 1,517 1,296 1,483 1,552 
			 The Vale of Glamorgan 51 42 36 56 804 552 496 642 
		
	
	
		
			   Theft of a motor vehicle  Theft from a vehicle 
			 CDRP 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Dyfed-Powys 
			 Carmarthenshire 475 468 476 466 524 486 551 432 
			 Ceredigion 82 75 72 59 134 102 150 103 
			 Pembroke 134 133 119 143 308 312 264 315 
			 Powys 177 185 174 165 369 359 244 345 
			  
			 Gwent 
			 Blaenau Gwent 562 468 404 424 828 679 447 582 
			 Caerphilly 1,191 907 783 894 1,551 1,257 1,185 1,400 
			 Monmouthshire 306 255 242 262 747 588 472 629 
			 Newport 958 1,060 849 1,008 1,787 1,801 1,699 1,781 
			 Torfaen 376 384 332 458 801 710 606 894 
			 North Wales 
			 Conwy 255 233 270 255 790 713 711 791 
			 Denbighshire 414 341 345 411 701 975 1,026 1,058 
			 Flintshire 521 474 433 509 997 1,112 1,154 1,206 
			 Gwynedd 203 166 193 214 915 680 728 793 
			 Isle of Anglesey 129 136 104 132 331 282 375 401 
			 Wrexham 788 553 601 566 1,457 1,521 1,717 1,757 
			  
			 South Wales 
			 Bridgend 1,471 1,047 925 890 1,404 927 1,029 1,264 
			 Cardiff 4,123 2,807 3,111 3,180 6,697 5,159 5,319 7,818 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 781 769 825 779 904 670 785 748 
			 Neath Port Talbot 1,934 1,342 1,206 1,150 1,262 878 913 1,133 
			 Rhondda, Cynon, Taff 2,177 1,778 1,491 1,921 1,796 1,552 1,447 1,865 
			 Swansea 4,300 3,548 3,347 3,243 3,549 3,747 3,587 4,433 
			 The Vale of Glamorgan 1,064 728 652 681 1,591 1,285 1,244 1,318 
		
	
	Note:
	Three of the Wales forces implemented the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) prior to the official introduction on 1 April 2002; North Wales in October 2001, and both Dyfed Powys and South Wales in January 2002. Gwent introduced the Standard in April 2002. Broadly, the NCRS had the effect of increasing the number of crimes recorded by the police, with violent crime in particular being affected. Therefore, following the introduction of the Standard, numbers of recorded crimes are not comparable with previous years.

Speed Cameras (Southend)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much revenue has been raised in fines imposed as a result of speed cameras in Southend since 1997.

Caroline Flint: The available information on the number of court fines and fixed penalties issued within the police force area of Essex for the offence of 'speeding detected by camera' for 1997–01 is shown in the table. It is not possible from the data collected centrally to identify Southend.
	Information for 2002 will be available in the Spring.
	
		Fixed penalty and court proceedings data for speeding offences detected by cameras(44) , (45) in the Essex police force area, 1997–01
		
			  Fixed penalties Court proceedings 
			 Offenceand year Number of tickets(46) Estimated revenue(47) (£) Number of fines Total amount of fine (£) Average fine(48) (£) 
		
		
			  Speeding offences   
			 1997 18,800 753,700 880 93,900 107 
			 1998 8,700 346,600 1,700 227,400 134 
			 1999 19,800 791,400 2,100 357,400 169 
			 2000 46,300 2,007,200 2,800 317,800 115 
			 2001 81,900 4,911,100 6,500 651,200 101 
		
	
	(44) Automatic cameras until 1998, all camera types from 1999.
	(45) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and The Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973.
	(46) Paid i.e. no further action.
	(47) Estimate based on £40 fixed penalty charge to October 2000. From November 2000 the penalty was raised to £60.
	(48) Includes cases where fixed penalty notices were originally issued but not paid and subsequently referred to court.

UK Immigration Officials

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK immigration officials were in post at (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick, (c) Stansted, (d) Luton and (e) City airport on 1 January in each of the last six years.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 19 January 2004
	The table sets out the number of full-time equivalent immigration officials employed at the airports listed, as at 1 January for the last six years.
	
		
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Heathrow (49)— 632.7 588.7 642.4 721.6 682.6 
			 Gatwick (49)— 265 258.6 283.6 292.5 278.2 
			 Stansted 48.6 47.7 44.9 48.4 54.6 63.8 
			 Luton (49)— 24 24 28 28 28 
			 London City 13 13 11 12 14 15 
		
	
	(49) 1999 = Incomplete records available for Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton.
	As at 2 January 2004, the UK Immigration Service had a further 103 Immigration Officers who had confirmed places on training courses taking place in January, February and March who were to be posted to either Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted airports.

Taiwanese Nationals (Police Registration)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the requirements for police registration have been lifted in respect of Taiwanese nationals.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 26 January 2004
	The Government do not recognise Taiwanese nationality, although passports issued by the Taiwanese authorities are accepted for the purposes of travel to and from the United Kingdom. The holders of such documents continue to be required to register with the police in accordance with the requirements of Part 10 of the Immigration Rules. These requirements are a matter which is kept under review.

Serious Crime

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives to chief constables on the definition of serious crimes.

Hazel Blears: No specific guidance is given on the definition of serious crime.
	All police forces in England and Wales are required to submit monthly recorded crime statistics prepared in accordance with the Home Office Counting Rules for Recorded Crime. This contains a principal crime rule whereby if the sequence of crimes in an incident contains more than one type of crime the most serious crime is counted. In determining the most serious crime, the most serious violent crime takes precedence over the most serious property crime.
	A full list of the offence headings which comprise the recorded crime series is issued to police forces, along with their definitions (most of which are in terms of criminal law definitions), as part of the Home Office Counting Rules. The list is also given in Table 3.04 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin 07/03 'Crime in England and Wales 2002–03' which was published in July 2003. That table also shows what offences within the violence against the person category are deemed to be more serious and less serious offences.